Dante (that) One of the Pioneers of the Renaissance
The Renaissance is a period in European history that marked the evolution from the Middle ages to the Modernity that is present in the world today. The period saw several significant changes that make Europe what it is today, including the civilization of the people. Several people pioneered this transition, and one person that deserves mention is the excellent Dante Alighieri. Through his artistic works, many people consider him the man who bridged the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. His works played different roles in influencing the world to what it is today. Also, the artists that came after him drew their inspiration from him and continued with the great work that Dante had begun.
Dante went down in history as one of the greatest poets of all time. He used his skills to paint pictures in people’s minds. Graphic artists that came after him expounded on his work by interpreting his works in many different ways (Barricelli 15). These illustrations show just how great Dante’s works were that they continue to have impacts on the lives of people long after his death. The illustrations by different artists have allowed the general public to have different viewpoints on Dante’s work, thereby facilitating a greater understanding of the messages he was trying to convey.
For many years, literary works such as poems were only accessible to the elite in society; that is, the educated population. This limited access was because many, if not all, writers used Latin to write their works. However, Dante was the first person to write an art-piece in the local Italian dialect. By doing so, he made it possible for everyone in society to have access to his artistic works, regardless of their level of education. He aimed to help the language become a primary scholarly language (“Dante Alighieri”). After his works gained prominence in society, other writers that came after him continued to write in local Italian. This significant milestone marked the beginning of the renaissance period.
The Divine Comedy, otherwise known as “La Comedia,” is perhaps the greatest of Dante’s works. He divided the poem into three cantos, namely Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso (Gillerman 135). The poem talks about a man’s journey through the afterlife in search of peace and tranquility. Each of three different areas represents Dante’s thoughts on what happens to the different types of people after their time on earth elapses. In the Inferno, Dante describes how sinners endure suffering for the crimes they committed on earth. He describes the beasts present in hell and the suffering they dish out to sinners. The Purgatorio represents the location of sinners who are remorseful for their actions on earth. They do not suffer the full punishment faced by other sinners in hell; neither do they enjoy the benefits given to the righteous. Finally, Paradiso depicts the peace and tranquility that the righteous will enjoy, in the company of Christ, the Virgin, and praying and singing angels (Gillerman 136).
Based on Dante’s writings, people who had access to them or their interpretations developed a picture of the kind of things that happen in hell. The gruesome images painted by Dante describing the torments present in hell will definitely leave a person shaken or petrified by the place. As a result, many individuals would do everything in their power to ensure that they do not end up in that horrible place. According to many interpretations, the surest way to avoid the area is to live a righteous life. Living a moral life involves being a “good” person, embracing virtues while eliminating vices. He went ahead to describe the kind of vices that resulted in people ending up in hell. Therefore, in a way, Dante motivated people to live righteous lives through his works that showed how terrible hell was. People would be determined to keep away from the vices described by Dante to the best of their abilities.
In the Christian Middle Ages, many people were subjects to medieval thinking, whose primary interest was the well-being of the spirituality of man (Kimminich 77). This way of thinking categorized man’s actions into vices and virtues. Vices resulted in sinful ways, commonly associated with influence from demons or planetary forces. However, later figures indicated that man had the power to control his actions because of the presence of a free will. Dante, in particular, suggested that the afterlife would either be good or bad, depending on the choices that one makes during their lifetime. Therefore, he made it clear that virtues would be rewarded in Paradiso, while vices would receive punishment in Inferno.
After Dante had successfully painted gruesome pictures in people’s minds, different artists came up with varying interpretations of his work. They made it their life work to share their descriptions with the rest of the world. They achieved this using different art forms, such as the use of oil paintings and sculptures. These works of art were symbolic during the Renaissance period as they shaped the changes seen in the world today. Dante’s role in this period is not to be overlooked, as many people universally agree that the first traces of the Renaissance had their roots in Italy, thanks to Dante’s writings.
Works Cited
Barricelli, Jean-Pierre. “Dante: Inferno I in the Visual Arts.” Dante Studies, with the Annual Report of the Dante Society 114 (1996): 15-39.
“Dante Alighieri.” Revolutionary People from The Renaissance, 2020, https://revolutionarypeoplefromtherenaissance.weebly.com/dante-alighieri.html.
Gillerman, Dorothy Hughes. “Trecento Illustrators of the” Divine Commedia.” Dante Studies, with the Annual Report of the Dante Society 118 (2000): 129-165.
Kimminich, Eva. “The Way of Vice and Virtue: A Medieval Psychology.” Comparative Drama 25.1 (1991): 77-86.