Hell: One reader's prespective on who wasn't there and should have been...

I apologize for my lack of philosophical thoughts into the life of the books we read for class, first and foremost. I've read some pretty awesome insightful things written by my fellow classmates that definitely puts my blogs to shame...

but what can I say, it was how I was hardwired by the Great Creator himself.

Anyways, so I'm eating vanilla ice cream and reading over Cantos 32-34 of the Inferno [again, for like the 8th billion time.. it's an eerie picture that I like to recount, down in the ice depths of Cocytus and Judecca] and I came across another reference to a character of medieval English romance, a personal favorite of mine, that of the insufferable Mordred, who is in the level of the ninth circle reserved for those who betray their kin, a sin worthy of the 9th level in medieval times. Mordred, as you may remember, mortally wounded King Arthur in their legendary battle of Camlenn after Mordred is revealed as a traitor--and his son. However, I think that Dante may have forgotton to put someone else into Hell with Mordred... the heroic King Arthur himself.

Before any Arthurians out there keel over, let me say that I'm an Arthur-lover as well but he did some pretty stupid things that should have earned him a place in Hell, like murder, lust, lying, rape, and incest...

wait, what? Incest? Yes sir. Some legends say that Mordred came into being as Arthur rapes his sister Morgause because he is overcome by his lust for her and from that union, Mordred is born and a prophecy is out forth. Rape and lust are two circles of Hell, yes? Personally I find that incest is a sin against nature, just like sodomy yet do we see Arthur in any of the circles for sin against nature? Sure, he is a legend but if Lancelot and Guinevere are able to be mentioned as a reason that Paolo and Francesca had an affair then Arthur should be entertained by the hot, barren desert and flames of the sodomites and the pedophiles of Canto 15-16. It's his fault that poor Mordred is lodged up to his neck in ice for running him through and all that happened to King Arthur was that he was taken to Avalon to live out his days until Britain needs him again.

Dante picked a good man for the 9th circle but maybe he should have also looked into Mordred's background to see who else should have gotten a free trip to hell.