Dante's Divine Comedy

• 1. Lines 1-24 are clearly a paraphrase of the Lord’s Prayer. Lest you think this presumptuous, no less an authority than Augustine wrote, first, that the Lord’s Prayer contains within it the essence of every prayer recorded in Scripture; and, second, “It is permitted to use these or other words, as long as we say the same things when we pray; but it is not permitted to say different things.” Such paraphrases of the Lord’s Prayer and other biblical and ancient writings were common before and after Dante’s time. That said, are lines 4-6 trinitarian in nature?

It is. The phrase “your name” refers to the Son (Jesus), “power and might” to the Father, and “sweet Spirit” to the Holy Spirit.

How does line 9 speak especially to the proud?

The proud seemed in life to think that their powers, gifts, and talents were sufficient and what they accomplished they accomplished on their own.

What is the substance of lines 10-12?

It is the paraphrase of “thy will be done on Earth as it is in heaven.” Dante may well be thinking of Matthew 26:39—“O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.”

Who do the proud pray for in lines 22-23?

Not for themselves but for those in Ante-Purgatory and those on Earth. Dante’s meaning here is his own. The Church did not teach that those in Purgatory prayed for the living.

• 2. Why does Virgil ask the souls of the first tier to show Dante and him both the shortest way to the next tier and the least laborious path (lines 37-45)?

He reminds them that Dante is still alive and therefore weighed down by the flesh, a situation that necessitates a slow ascent.

Of course, his words, “burdened down/by Adam’s flesh” connects Dante to the burdened proud themselves.

• 3. Who is the first to answer Virgil’s request?

Omberto Aldobrandeschi

How do lines 52-65 indicate how successful the suffering imposed in this first tier has been?

He appears to believe that if Dante could see his face, he would recognize him and therefore take pity on his suffering. The hope of being recognized indicates he expects to be known and in that way betrays his lingering pride.

His reference to his father – Guglielmo Aldobrandeschi, the ancientness of his family line, his ancestors’ bravery purports to be a confession of his pride. However, the fame of his father suggests some measure of false modesty, especially the line, “I don’t know if you’ve ever heard the name.”

Lines 65-68 indicate that parents tell their children cautionary tales of Omberto’s pride.

How do lines 73-78 suggest that Dante is sharing the suffering of the proud—or, perhaps, should do?

He is squatting and moving along (line 78) as do the penitent proud.

With whom does the pilgrim converse in lines 79-90?

Oderisi da Gubbio

Dante recognizes him; therefore, we may conclude he knew him. Oderisi is a fellow artist. That he is among the proud because of his own attitude toward his art may serve as an object lesson to Dante who has already in the poem, as in his time with the pagan poets, shown his own pride.

How far has this artist’s progress come in comparison to that of Omberto Aldobrandeschi (lines 82-90)?

He acknowledges a younger illuminator as superior to himself, saying the younger man, Franco Bolognese, “shines more laughter in the leaves/touched by his pen.” (lines 82-83)

What is his outlook concerning art and fame as expressed in lines 91-100?

He sees each generation of artists eclipsing the skills of the previous generation, citing the painter Giotto’s outshining Cimabue and the poet Guido Cavalcanti’s outshining Guido Guinezzelli.

In regard to the poets named, he says that both will also be eclipsed. Of course, Dante himself does exactly that. Still, the fact that he wrote these lines indicates a measure of pride. On the other hand,lines 99-100 also evoke an image of exile, which Dante will also face.

What is the essential meaning of lines 100-117?

Fame is fleeting; it is nothing in the great sweep of time.

What is going on in lines 109-114 and 121-126?

Oderisi points out Provenzano Salvani, who himself never speaks.

He describes him as a man too proud of his own military conquests. However, now that he is dead, no one in his home of Siena even speaks his name.

He also places Florence itself among the disastrously proud.

How does Dante respond (lines 118-120) to Oderisi’s long speech? [By the way, the delivery of long, formal speeches is one of the epic conventions.]

They inspire humility, Dante says, quelling his own swelling pride.

What is revealed about Provenzano that explains why he is in Purgatory and not in Hell (lines 133-138)?

He humbled himself to beg for money to raise the ransom for a friend. He gained merit.

How do lines 139-141 connect Dante to a similar fate as that of Provenzano?

When Dante goes into exile, he will find it necessary to beg for the help of others.