Prompt: Think about Ivan Ilyich’s avoidance of death and his revelations about death. In the end, what do you think the text suggests about death?
Sample solution
Dante Alighieri played a critical role in the literature world through his poem Divine Comedy that was written in the 14th century. The poem contains Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. The Inferno is a description of the nine circles of torment that are found on the earth. It depicts the realms of the people that have gone against the spiritual values and who, instead, have chosen bestial appetite, violence, or fraud and malice. The nine circles of hell are limbo, lust, gluttony, greed and wrath. Others are heresy, violence, fraud, and treachery. The purpose of this paper is to examine the Dante’s Inferno in the perspective of its portrayal of God’s image and the justification of hell.
In this epic poem, God is portrayed as a super being guilty of multiple weaknesses including being egotistic, unjust, and hypocritical. Dante, in this poem, depicts God as being more human than divine by challenging God’s omnipotence. Additionally, the manner in which Dante describes Hell is in full contradiction to the morals of God as written in the Bible. When god arranges Hell to flatter Himself, He commits egotism, a sin that is common among human beings (Cheney, 2016). The weakness is depicted in Limbo and on the Gate of Hell where, for instance, God sends those who do not worship Him to Hell. This implies that failure to worship Him is a sin.
God is also depicted as lacking justice in His actions thus removing the godly image. The injustice is portrayed by the manner in which the sodomites and opportunists are treated. The opportunists are subjected to banner chasing in their lives after death followed by being stung by insects and maggots. They are known to having done neither good nor bad during their lifetimes and, therefore, justice could have demanded that they be granted a neutral punishment having lived a neutral life. The sodomites are also punished unfairly by God when Brunetto Lattini is condemned to hell despite being a good leader (Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). While he commited sodomy, God chooses to ignore all the other good deeds that Brunetto did.
Finally, God is also portrayed as being hypocritical in His actions, a sin that further diminishes His godliness and makes Him more human. A case in point is when God condemns the sin of egotism and goes ahead to commit it repeatedly. Proverbs 29:23 states that “arrogance will bring your downfall, but if you are humble, you will be respected.” When Slattery condemns Dante’s human state as being weak, doubtful, and limited, he is proving God’s hypocrisy because He is also human (Verdicchio, 2015). The actions of God in Hell as portrayed by Dante are inconsistent with the Biblical literature. Both Dante and God are prone to making mistakes, something common among human beings thus making God more human.
To wrap it up, Dante portrays God is more human since He commits the same sins that humans commit: egotism, hypocrisy, and injustice. Hell is justified as being a destination for victims of the mistakes committed by God. The Hell is presented as being a totally different place as compared to what is written about it in the Bible. As a result, reading through the text gives an image of God who is prone to the very mistakes common to humans thus ripping Him off His lofty status of divine and, instead, making Him a mere human. Whether or not Dante did it intentionally is subject to debate but one thing is clear in the poem: the misconstrued notion of God is revealed to future generations.
References
Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). Dante’s inferno: Seven deadly sins in scientific publishing and how to avoid them. Addiction Science: A Guide for the Perplexed, 267.
Cheney, L. D. G. (2016). Illustrations for Dante’s Inferno: A Comparative Study of Sandro Botticelli, Giovanni Stradano, and Federico Zuccaro. Cultural and Religious Studies, 4(8), 487.
Verdicchio, M. (2015). Irony and Desire in Dante’s” Inferno” 27. Italica, 285-297.
Sample Solution
Sample Solution
In Leo Tolstoy’s “The Death of Ivan Ilyich,” the protagonist’s avoidance of death is a central theme throughout the story. Ivan Ilyich, a high-ranking judge, lives a superficial and conformist life, avoiding the contemplation of death and the existential questions it raises. However, as he confronts his own mortality due to a terminal illness, he undergoes a transformation that leads to profound revelations about death.
Initially, Ivan Ilyich’s avoidance of death is evident in his pursuit of social status, material possessions, and conformity to societal expectations. He is preoccupied with his career, striving for success and recognition, while neglecting his personal relationships and genuine human connection. This avoidance of death is a form of denial, as he refuses to acknowledge the inevitability and universality of mortality.
As Ivan Ilyich’s illness progresses, he experiences physical pain and existential anguish. This suffering forces him to confront his mortality, and he begins to question the meaning and purpose of his life. He realizes that his pursuit of wealth, status, and external validation was ultimately empty and meaningless. The text suggests that his previous avoidance of death and the pursuit of superficial goals prevented him from living a truly fulfilling and authentic life.
Through his suffering and introspection, Ivan Ilyich begins to recognize the superficiality and emptiness of his former existence. He seeks solace and understanding, exploring religious and philosophical ideas about life and death. Tolstoy presents the idea that true meaning and fulfillment can only be found through the acceptance and understanding of death. Ivan Ilyich’s revelations about death come from a place of acceptance, as he confronts his own mortality and the reality of the human condition.
Ultimately, the text suggests that death is an integral part of the human experience. It is an inevitability that cannot be escaped or denied. However, Tolstoy also suggests that accepting the reality of death can lead to a deeper appreciation of life and a profound transformation in one’s perspective. Through Ivan Ilyich’s journey, the text encourages readers to confront their own mortality and live authentically, seeking true meaning and fulfillment rather than superficial pursuits.
In conclusion, “The Death of Ivan Ilyich” suggests that avoiding the contemplation of death and pursuing superficial goals ultimately leads to emptiness and a lack of fulfillment. Tolstoy encourages readers to confront their mortality and seek a deeper understanding of life and death. By facing death with acceptance and introspection, one can find true meaning and live a more authentic and fulfilling existence.
