Any still interested in Dante

Beatrice, who loves Dante dearly, arranges for him a potentially life-improving journey, a walk through hell. The purpose of bringing Dante through hell is to show him how horrible it is. It is Beatrice’s hope that Dante will decide to leave his “dark woods” and find the “right road” again. She asks Virgil, a good heathen, to take him through hell, but still she feels uncertain that Dante will be helped, “I fear he may be already lost, unaided: / So far astray, I’ve come from Heaven too late” (Canto 1 Verses 52-53). She did come too late, for Dante shows he cares little for positively changing his deceitful life.
It’s ironic that Dante defies the purpose of his travels by tricking and lying to a poor soul freezing in ice in hell for lying and betraying. Dante notices the poor souls frozen tears were continue to fall back into his eyes so that he cannot cry, tricks him by saying, "If you would have me help you, disclose / To me who you are: if I don't help you then, / May I be sent to the bottom of the ice." At this the poor soul replies, "I am Fra Albergio…Reach out your hand and open my eyes for me." He then leaves the poor soul with out helping him. He further more will not admit that he is wrong for he makes excuses for his sin. “I did not open them--for to be rude / to such a one as him was courtesy”.
Dante’s refusal to help this poor soul is also his refusal to be helped by the warnings of his journey. Dante gives up his opportunity to heal for some other motive until he has lost reality, and again is in “dark woods”.