Inferno, Canto 25 to 32

During canto 26 and 27 Dante journeys through the 8th circle of hell in pouches 7 and 8. While looking into 8th pouch Dante notices flames that look like fireflies. Each flame is an imprisoned soul, two of these flames are bound together. This text affected me personally it has made me realize I can never lose my sins easily, I must ask for forgiveness from God, buying forgiveness will not free me as shown when the flames soul mentions absolution not working when the Pope promised him absolution if he did his dirty work. It has personally affected me by making me more religious, I take my sins more serious now than I ever have. A part of the text that caught my attention was when Dante defines one of the two flames to be Odysseus, this caught my attention because another famous non-Christian was mentioned in Dante’s hell even though Odysseus is a fictional character. It also caught my attention because what Odysseus said in Hell was not mentioned anywhere in The Odyssey meaning that Dante had come up with Odysseus’ sayings completely. A part of this text that provoked an emotional reaction was when the soul mentions absolution not working, at first this made me laugh because it meant that a sin free person was dumb enough to believe the Pope over the written word of his lord. This then made me sad and uncertain because I have not been perfectly faithful by any means and I have not confessed in very long meaning if I die now I will die sinful. Although my sins differ I would still land in a circle of hell for my actions which is very alarming. This book reminds me of Odyssey just because it mentions Odysseus in hell, it also reminds me of the works of Martin Luther against the catholic church claiming it has become sinful by going against God and being greedy, It reminded me of that because just like Luther confronted the catholic church, Dante confronts Florence politicians in his work. This text supports my beliefs of Christianity, that when I die with sins I will go to hell and If I’m sin free I will either go to heaven or purgatory. It also supports my beliefs that absolutions were scams, they didn’t really work, therefore anyone who bought them is likely in hell for buying their way in, the only way to salvation is through confession and reform to Gods image. This text gave me new insight on the geography of hell, to take sins more seriously, political conflicts in medieval Italy, and new ideas to be more religious.