Good and Evil in Dante’s Divine Comedy and Chaucer’s The...

Good and evil are concocted differently in every imagination. To some, evil is the most appalling sins, including such heinous acts such as murder, rape, distortion, or betrayal. To others, evil might be something so simple as indecisiveness, extravagance, or vain glory. Goodness is ambiguous to mankind as well because one man might define goodness as the ordinary man living a free life, yet another might conclude that true goodness is obtainable only through a perfect, honorable lifestyle, completely abstaining from worldly endeavors. One’s attitude at good and evil will predetermine their values, actions, and points of interest. Whether life is spent pursuing heavenly goals or the applying oneself to his or her life, their†¦show more content†¦Dante was a man with a vision. He lived in a world that was â€Å"Torn by discord† (Limentani,117). Born in 1265, Dante’s Florence was the center of a war ravaged Italy. He became involved in politics at a you ng age and before too long became a White Guelph, one who supported the Papacy in the fight against invading Germanic kings. 1301 was a tragic year because it marked the beginning of the Black Guelph regime and saw Dante exiled from his home town forever. These experiences made Dante quickly realize that this world is corrupt to the core. â€Å"Greed for material things is the main fault, greed which is allowed to dictate the actions of men. Only a cessation of strife, the establishment of universal peace can ensure the happiness of mankind and allow men to pursue the ultimate aim for which God has destined them on earth, that of exercising constantly and to the full their distinctive quality, the ‘Virtus Intellective’ (virtuous intellect)† (Limentani,117). He believed that all life on this earth has a purpose and meaning to it. This can be seen in the Inferno because during the long trek through Hell Dante does almost nothing but work to arrive a Paradise, the h eavenly end to all those lacking wickedness. He traveled far trying to make his life purposeful by working his way up to Heaven. Chaucer stood in contrast to Dante’s almost dogmatic piety and looked to other things as having