Inferno & Canterbury Tales

1 Pages 330 Words

The openings to both Dante’s Inferno and Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales trace religious journeys; Dante’s narrator explores the afterlife while Chaucer’s characters begin a traditional pilgrimage from London to Canterbury. Both journeys occur during spring, a time of year often associated with growth and rejuvenation. Chaucer begins by describing the season; he writes, “Whatn that April with his showres soote/The drought of March hath perced to the roote/ And bathed every vein in swich licour…” (lines 1-3). Dante’s narrator hints at the setting when he says “…so I was encouraged to face with better hope the beast…by the time of day, the sweetness of the season.” (lines 41-44). Despite these common elements, the journeys have different natures, giving each story a distinct tone; one seems eerie and haphazard while the other is light and straight forward.
Unlike Chaucer’s pilgrims, who are equipped with a schedule and established path, Inferno starts with chaos and uncertainty. The narrator describes himself “astray in a dark wood where the straight road had been lost sight of. How hard it is to say what it was like in the thick of thickets, in a wood so dense and gnarled the very thought of it renews my panic.” (lines 2-6). This physical description of the path and forest parallels his fear. Virgil’s offer to show him “an eternal place where you will…see those long-lost spirits in torment” followed by those “among the blessed,” provides the narrator with direction and he quickly accepts. Accepting this offer forces the narrator to surrender control of his own future.
Like the narrator of Inferno, the pilgrims in Canterbury Tales are also followers; others have already completed the journey they are about to commence. Although one trip is planned and the other quite unexpected, the shared component of trusting a prescribed path reflects the basis of religion, which requires its follow...