2014+SH+P5+High+Middle+Ages

Aim by Zachary Brooks:



The setting of the poem Inferno by Dante takes place during the High Middle Ages. Dante made a name for himself in this era by his literature and is considered to be the “Father of the Italian language”. There was two reasons he wrote Inferno; for religious and political reasons. As Ozzy Mirza mentioned, “Likewise, people say there are a couple of reasons for why did Dante write The Inferno; he used the prevalent theme of religion to belittle his political nemeses, and also, at the same time, use the text to make people think about their own daily life routines & actions,” (Writeawriting). He used religion to rattle his political adversaries; in fact some of the people he described resembled those that resembled politicians he hated at the time. For example, he mentioned those who were fortune tellers getting a punishment as severe as those who are false prophets. Their heads are on backwards so then they cannot see what is ahead. This is supposed to make his enemies think twice about their actions and politicians were doing this at the time. There was other religious reasons: such as seducing others which people did in private to make them rethink their actions. It was to help make people rethink their daily routines and to slap his political enemies in the face which the reason it took place during the High Middle Ages because that is when he lived.

Audience by Alex Manville



The book Dantes Inferno takes place during the High Middle Ages when the Pope and the Holy Roman Empire were rivals. The book might be read as a “piece of propaganda against Dante’s enemies (the pope, the black Guelphs)”(Divine Comedy 1). The high middle ages were the beginning of the medieval period and when Christianity became widely spread. Dante may have wrote for the people he wanted to get revenge on, the leaders of the church that stripped him of his power. During the high middle ages “...the papacy, long established as a political force, was in constant struggle with some secular governments and alliance with others”(Snell 1). There were any struggles going on with church and law during the middle ages and Dante wrote to the audience that was on his side of what he thought was right. His audience was either the people that also believed his point of view was right and also for the people he did not agree with. Many of the topics that are raised in the book are political and during the medieval era there were many political problems arising. Dante is just trying to show his audience his opinions on what happened to him during that time.

Historical by Lillian Petty



During the 11th century, the time known as the High Middle Ages began. Lasting about 300 years, “the High Middle Ages saw such significant events as Norman conquests in Britain and Sicily, the earlier Crusades, the Investiture Controversy and the signing of the Magna Carta” (Snell). It was said that the church became the center during that time and this is what lead to many of these important events. These events can be the tie between the author and the audience. The author can use these events in order to explain that the things we have in society today, such as feudalism, had started back in the High Middle Ages. These historical events can affect the the text because it gives the feel of real life events within the story. The author can compare what is happening in the book to something that happened in the book. Since Inferno takes place around the time of the 1300s, it is described as the time of the High Middle Ages itself. This is how the history affects the written text. The descriptions of Dante being in hell relate back to when religion was very important and that is what lead the Crusades during this time period. The time period of the High Middle Ages was based on when religion “became the universal and unifying institution” of Britain. The High Middle Ages is the setting of Inferno and that is why the history of it is so important. It adds to the situation that the main characters are in and it also gives better detail to the the main events in the story. Without the setting, the story would not be as descriptive or detailed as it is now.

Jade Cultural-



The book Inferno, takes place in the high middle ages, when culture was rich and science along with the arts and religion, were at their peak. The Middle Ages were most known for famous artists and scientists; but little do people realize how culturally involved the church had become at that time. “ The Catholic Church was Europe’s dominant cultural institution in the High Middle Ages” ( Religious and Intellectual Life in the High Middle Ages 1). The church had become more like the government and greatly influenced the culture at the time. The church brought in Latin and strict school systems, along with high expectations in grammar and literature. This makes sense, because the book Inferno is mostly based off the Catholic culture and beliefs. Because Inferno was based off Catholic religions and cultures, the book typically attracts readers who are also familiar with the Catholic culture. Inferno also provides a sense of understanding as to how culture in the middle ages were perceived by people living in those times. In modern culture, religion has been taken out of schools and workplaces, so when heavily culturally religious based books are read, it tends give a sense of how much culture and ideas have changed since the middle ages and now. Culture is extremely important in expressing what standard middle age culture was like and how people dealt with the overpowering Catholic culture in the book Inferno.

Works Cited:

1) Mirza, Ozzy. "Why Did Dante Write The Inferno?" Writeawriting. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Aug. 2014.

2) Soyers, Dorothy L. "Inferno (Dante)." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 21 Aug. 2014. Web. 26 Aug. 2014.

3) "Divine Comedy-I: Inferno Background." Study Guides & Essay Editing. GradeSaverLLC. Web. 27 Aug. 2014.

4) Snell, Melissa. "The Early and High Middle Ages - Medieval History." Medieval History. Web. 27 Aug. 2014.

5) Snell, Melissa. "Defining the Middle Ages." Medieval History. N.p., 1997. Web. 26 Aug. 2014.

6) Adams, Henry. "The High Middle Ages." Infoplease. Columbia University Press, 2012. Web. 26 Aug. 2014.

7) "Religious and Intellectual Life in the High Middle Ages." N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Aug. 2014.

8) Damerow, Harold, Dr. "The High Middle Ages:11000-1300." Harold Damerow, n.d. Web. 26 Aug. 2014.