2014+SH+P5++Aeneas+and+St.+Paul

Audience: Kyla Jennings Inferno is intended for people that believe in an afterlife and Christianity. In an article, about Aeneas and St. Paul, the author states, “D ante, contrary to Augustine and others, believed the Roman empire in fact prepared the way for Christianity, with Rome as the divinely chosen home of the Papacy” (The University of Texas at Austin 1). Dante wrote for people that had the same beliefs as himself; he believed that there was an afterlife but, he was not worthy of taking on the journey of going to it. There is only one audience which are the people who also believe that there is an afterlife and that they may be able to achieve getting to it. The author assumes that the whole audience has a common knowledge about Christianity and the afterlife. Another assumption that he made is that there is an afterlife, this an assumption due to the fact that nobody can truly testify and prove that there really is an afterlife. The fact that he assumes that his audience knows basic knowledge of Christianity is a strength because it shows the level of knowledge of Christianity at which the reader already should be at. Though that may be the case for that assumption, the assumption of there being an afterlife does prove to be controversial. The assumption that an afterlife is real is not controversial in this case because people that believe in Christianity also believe that there is an afterlife, heaven and hell. This creates an overall understanding of the passage.

Works Cited "Dante's Inferno - Prologue - Cantos 1 & 2." Dante's Inferno - Prologue - Cantos 1 & 2. N.p., n.d.Web. 27 Aug. 2014. "St Paul." Biography. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Aug. 2014.

Cultural: Genesis Barron Throughout the book of Inferno, the narrator speaks of this journey throughout the underworld of hell. Most people have heard of and believe in a heaven and hell. In most cultures, people believe in that there is another life after dying, that there is more to dying; passing from one life to another. The author of the book, Dante, describes the voyage of the main character as he is taken to visit hell. The author describes to the reader what the afterlife/hell will be like. What people will see; what people will feel. By mentioning Aeneas and St. Paul, the readers have a better sense and understanding of the book. This is because, as stated in the article Dark Wood, cantos 1-2, "The apostle Paul claims in the Bible to have been transported to the "third heaven" (2 Corinthians 12:2), and Aeneas visits the underworld in book 6 of Virgil's Aeneid. These two otherworldly travelers are linked through their association with Rome, seat of both the empire and the church" (The University of Texas at Austin 1). Many people are familiar with the Bible, St. Paul, Aeneas, and Virgil's Aeneid. With mentioning these two personals, the readers can relate the book to their culture because the Bible(religion) may be a huge part of their cultural. With Dante mentioning St. Paul and Aeneas, the author creates a deeper connection with the audience because Dante is relating portions of the book with the reader's culture, making the book more relatable to individuals. Works Cited "Dark Wood, cantos 1-2". Dante's World. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 August 2014.

Historical: Hannah Morse Aeneas and St. Paul are characters in Dante’s Inferno. In Inferno, they are both characters that make the journey to the entryway of Hell. Meanwhile, in Greek/Roman mythology, Aeneas was a Trojan hero. He was the son of Aphrodite and Anchises. According to Encyclopedia Britannica, “ Aeneas was a member of the royal line at Troy and cousin of Hector. He played a prominent part in the war to defend his city against the Greeks, being second only to Hector in ability”. St. Paul, in Greek history, is an apostle that taught to the the first-century world the ideas of the gospel of Christ. Stories of This could relate to Inferno in the sense that Inferno is a book concerning religion, and Aeneas and St. Paul are both religious figures or have to do with re ligion, namely Christianity, in some way. These figures’ names appeared before Inferno was written, making it clear that Dante took at some inspiration from their stories to incorporate them into his book.

Works Cited Powell, Mark A. Introducing the New Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic. 2009. "Aeneas (Roman Mythology)." Encyclopedia Britannica. N.p., 9 June 2008. Web. 25 Aug. 2014.

Aim: Dylan Williams Aeneas and St. Paul are figures that have claimed to have been in the afterlife. They are referenced by Dante when he claims that he is unworthy of going down into the underworld. St. Paul is a major figure of the Apostolic age and wrote in the Bible. Aeneas claimed to have visited the underworld in the book Aeneid by Virgil. The purpose of Dante citing Aeneas and St. Paul is to tell of their adventures and how he cannot compete with them, and how in turn, he is unworthy. Dante is a normal person, he has wants and desires, just like everyone else, which makes him a sinner according to his beliefs. This is how he differs from St. Paul; the saint is a pure man that has laid the ground for Christianity to grow and develop. Aeneas laid the ground for Rome and was an overall leader, as stated here: “...Troy was destroyed, and Aeneas thus compelled to lead forth his followers who became the seed of the Romans” (Alighieri 91). He was a powerful person and was respected and followed. St. Paul was a high religious figure in Christianity as he was one of the first missionaries, so Dante finds himself rather lacking compared to Aeneas and St. Paul. He finds himself not as important as them. They have both been to the underworld and have accomplished a lot. Dante, on the other hand, is just a more common person that has wants and desires; this is why he does not think that he is as good as them.

Works Cited Alighieri, Dante. Inferno. New York: Doubleday, 2000. Print. "Dante's Inferno - Prologue - Cantos 1 & 2." Dark Wood, Cantos 1 & 2. The University of Texas at Austin, 2007. Web. 26 Aug. 2014. "St Paul." 2014. The Famous People Website.  26 Aug. 2014.