What is Upper Hell?
Upper Hell is where the people who chose ways of living that mostly damaged themselves dwell.
My Thoughts:
I think this section of hell is one of the most easily misunderstood and yet it’s easily one of the most important for the modern world. How many ways do we dishonor ourselves by lack of self-restraint? Or by not imagining greater?
The misunderstanding comes because we’re all too ready to just take Dante at his word, and not consider the other possibilities any of these sins may have.
This is where Sayers’ commentaries are so helpful. For instance, she notes that in Limbo the major failing of the people there was lack of imagination. You wouldn’t think Plato or Socrates lacked imagination, or Virgil himself for that matter.
And yet, perhaps they did? They really couldn’t seriously imagine something better than the Greek and Roman pantheon? Nothing better than the world they were told existed?
It does make you think, doesn’t it?
Up Next…
We approach midnight next and the next section of Hell. Also, Dante and Virgil get stuck and Dante’s trust in Virgil is slightly shaken.
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