The Inferno: Canto 5
Created .For Lent, I'm reading The Inferno, part one of The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri. As I make my way through this classic work, I'll journal my experience. I'm using Anthony Esolen's translation, and will supplement my reading by listening to Ascend: The Great Books Podcast.
The plan is to read one Canto each day, once through on my own, then once with the notes in the back of the book, and journal my thoughts here.
2/22/2026: Canto 5
Synopsis:
The second ring of Hell is reserved for those who fell to the sin of lust. These people are constantly blown around by a wind, never being able to stand still. Like the way their actions were blown by their will, unchecked by reason, during life. There are many historical figures here, but the focus is on two people from Dante's era, who he also wrote about in a separate work: Francesca and Paolo. We hear about how they were reading about Lancelot and Guinevere, and were tempted into adultery, were caught by Francesca's husband, and murdered by him.
Thoughts:
At first, I was taken in by Francesca's story, even though it has the sound of excuse-making. Lots of flowery words, but no acknowledgement that they were in the wrong, no regret. Esolen's notes are again great here, calling this excuse-making out, and referencing St. Thomas Aquinas's remarks about the will being subject to reason. This resonated with me, and is something that I'm going to be consciously carrying into my own daily life. The will should be subject to reason, not the other way around. When reason comes after will, we find ourselves using reason to try to justify our actions. I often see myself doing this: deciding what I want to do, then figuring out reasons why I should do it. It should be the other way around.