Pity for the Sinners=Wrong

One of the things that bugged me most about Dante was the fact that part of his problem was that he was too compassionate. He pitied the people in hell and that was just not acceptable and I couldn’t understand why that was such a horrible thing. Its easy to hate the blackest of sinners and condemn them for what they have done, but there is nothing wrong with seeing what a waste it all was or feeling sorry for their predicament. You are not saying that they don’t deserve what they got just that you are sorry that hey are spending their days in such an awful place. They are in hell for eternity and they deserve it yes, but why does it matter so much if you feel for their lot.

Virgil also struggled with is emotions in hell and we explained them away in class by saying that he still struggled with his pity which was part of the reason he was in limbo. So in order to go to heaven you have to have a heart of stone for the people that screwed up where you got it right?

When bad things happen and you have a plan and a set of actions, something to give yourself purpose then you can soldier through. However there is nothing worse than knowing something horrible has happened or is about to happen and you can do nothing. Its that overwhelming feeling of helplessness and uselessness that is crippling. Maybe when Dante is traveling through hell and is faced with the horribleness of human nature he pities them as his only option. In reality this is a horrible situation over which he has no control so in order for his human mind to not run in circles he pities them and in an active way he is not longer standing uselessly at Virgil’ side.

Lets take a war scenario…You are fighting against a horrible foe. This is a country who is smaller than you militarily, but they have been doing some awful things and aggravating your much stronger country so you turn around to crush them. Feeling sorry for your enemy does not make you a traitor to your country. Realizing that these people got themselves in over their heads and that you are about to completely wipe them out you may have compassion. I’m not saying you drop your sword and refuse to fight, but you realize what these people could have been and you pity the ignorance and stubbornness that brought them to this point.

I’m going to stop now because I’m rambling, but you get my point.