Last year, my teacher mentioned Dante's Inferno casually in class and referred to it as an epic poem written to condemn sinners to hell. Well, it sounded interesting. So a few weeks ago, I found a lovely copy of it at my local book consignment shop and bought it, wondering if I would be able to understand Dante in his prose. I need not have worried, because I could understand it (with the help of "notes" at the end of each canto. So far, the fifth canto has been my very favorite. This part describes the special circle of hell reserved for sins "of the flesh," if you know what I mean.
After the impersonal description of a few greedy, disgusting sinners, Dante moves to discuss one couple, Francesca and Paolo, who committed adultery because they were in love. Francesca, even as a spirit, is a lovely person to talk to and tells Dante the pilgrim her sad story.
Francesca and Paolo had been reading of the love affair of Sir Lancelot and Queen Guenevere when they apparently realized that they really loved one another. As I remember the story of Lancelot and Guenevere, it went nothing like Francesca said. First, King Arthur married Guenevere even though he knew she was in love with Sir Lancelot. Second, after Arthur and Guenevere's son died, they grew apart. Third, Guenevere sought Lancelot out and persuaded him to become her lover. Finally, this love affair destroyed Camelot. So I really don't understand how this story is in any way romantic. After finishing the canto and feeling kind of sorry of Francesca and Paolo, I read the notes where the translator pointed out that their punishment was to remain together forever. Francesca refers to Paolo as "this one," which is no way to call your dearly beloved. And it's hell, so it must have been agony. After I finished reading the notes, I felt a little taken in by Dante, as though I was supposed to realize this all on my own, but I didn't. Even in English and with notes, I managed to completely miss his point.
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