Imagine you are Dante the poet, devising a punishment in Hell for two people, Iago from Othello and Rupert Murdoch. Locate each person in one of the layers of Dante’s Hell (justifying why they should be there), or invent your own circle or pouch of Hell situated among Dante’s layers, along with an appropriate punishment that fits the crime.
Next, write a narrative of the encounter with each person from the point of view of your own Dantepilgrim and Virgil-guide. This creative assignment must use the tone, style, and distinctive
tropes that characterize Dante’s epic (though you do not have to use poetic form). The creative portion of the assignment should be 4 pages, and it must be accompanied by a 1.5- to 2-page critical discussion of how and why you made your stylistic/rhetorical choices.
Sample Solution
Iago and Rupert Murdoch both deserve a spot in Hell, and I have devised the perfect punishments for them. For Iago, he will reside in the sixth pouch of Hell located just beyond the walls of Dis. This pouch is specifically designed to punish liars and all who manipulate through words. It is here that Iago shall suffer his punishment, being locked in an eternal battle with the other sinners while they use their tongues to inflict pain upon him with their deceptions and half truths. He will never be able to escape as these words become embedded within himself, causing him agony until the end of time.
Sample Solution
Iago and Rupert Murdoch both deserve a spot in Hell, and I have devised the perfect punishments for them. For Iago, he will reside in the sixth pouch of Hell located just beyond the walls of Dis. This pouch is specifically designed to punish liars and all who manipulate through words. It is here that Iago shall suffer his punishment, being locked in an eternal battle with the other sinners while they use their tongues to inflict pain upon him with their deceptions and half truths. He will never be able to escape as these words become embedded within himself, causing him agony until the end of time.