Characters From Various Literary Works

¶ … characters from various literary works in Dante's Hell

Dante Alighieri's epic poem "Divine Comedy" provides readers with an account involving the writer as he is guided through the nine circles of hell by the Roman poet Virgil. His journey through each section of hell is meant to exemplify categories of sinners, their punishment, and the location where they are distributed. The gravity of their sins is an essential factor in determining their treatment and the circle where they are located. The character Claudius in William Shakespeare's "Hamlet," the character Tartuffe in Moliere's "Tartuffe," and the character Okonkwo in Chinua Achebe's "Things Fall Apart" have all committed crimes that can be associated with particular sectors of Dante's medieval concept of hell.

Although it is initially difficult to determine whether if Claudius was actually responsible for murdering Hamlet's father, the protagonist's uncle is gradually shown as being unhesitant about employing immoral behavior in order to achieve his purpose. Claudius has poisoned his husband and his wife, attempted to murder Hamlet, and practically did everything in his power in order to become the king of Denmark. His actions qualifies both as treachery to kindred and as treachery to country, thus making it possible for him to be present in Round Two of the Ninth Circle of Hell.

Trapped in ice with only his face being able to move, Claudius is able to talk to Dante and attempts to explain his behavior: "I was just trying to help the people of Denmark from experiencing great suffering. My brother was unable to deal with the imminent threat represented by Denmark and someone had to act in order to remedy matters. I only wanted my brother dead, but my nephew intervened and turned the situation into a disaster by causing the deaths of Laertes, Ophelia, Polonius, Roencrantz, and Guildenstern. Although I am sorry for the fact that this many people have died, I cannot help but rejoicing that my successor would most likely be a better king than Hamlet would have ever been, considering his mental issues." Virgil explains that individuals are not judged in accordance with the aftermath of their action, as they are actually judged depending on their crime, regardless whether or not they had good intentions at the time when they committed it.

As Dante and Virgil come across Round Four in the Ninth Circle of hell they discover that everyone is completely trapped in ice, with only a faint glare in their eyes being visible through the thick ice. It is here that Dante identifies Tartuffe, who betrayed the people who wanted to help him by tricking them into giving him their house. Virgil stops here for a moment and relates to how these people are not even allowed to try and motivate their actions, as their treachery might influence the individuals that they are talking to. Dante distinguishes a feeling of false guilt in Tartuffe's eyes, as his character seems to be unaffected by the situation that he is in. Even as he is limited by his inability to move or speak, his mind appears to be remained intact, considering that he tries to influence Dante to think that he does not actually belong there.

In spite of the fact that one might be inclined to consider that Tartuffe's sin in not that great, his fabricated piety is an essential factor showing the kind of person that he is. He did not hesitate to use God as a means to achieve his goals, this being an unforgivable sin and proof that his actions were unlimited when it came to treachery. Orgon failure to see the real man that Tartuffe was further contributes to the person's general image. Tartuffe was a con artist that was willing to do anything in his power in order to rip off people. Moreover, he had no interest in their fate once he finished with them, thus meaning that he was practically willing to rob people of everything that they had, regardless of the consequences.

Okonkwo was not necessarily an evil person, as the surrounding environment shaped him and influenced his behavior in particular circumstances. His father's character was especially influential when considering his personality as an adult and as the leader of his community. However, his past did not absolve him from the sins that he committed with the purpose of improving his image. Dante feels sorry as he realizes that Oknokwo had been assigned to Fourth Circle of Hell, but knows that his acts were unpardonable. His quest for power provided him with a place in the section of hell hosting greedy individuals, given that he was mainly interested in accumulating power during his time on earth. Even as Dante approaches him he appears to be indifferent to everything that happens around, this proving that he lost his character as a consequence of his experiences both on earth and in hell.