Dante also sees Virgil as not corrupted by ambition and great but wise. “As poet, Vergil stood, in Dante’s eyes, for human intelligence and art at its highest level of achievement”. He looked at Virgil as his “model, teacher, inspiration,” acknowledging Virgil for his success since he followed Virgil’s style of writing, referring to Virgil as ‘my master and my author, from whom alone I learned that beauteous style which does me honor'(Inf.1.79-87). Besides, Dante and Virgil had three things in common both were poets, Virgil was a love poet while Dante was a lover, and the two seemed to have shared moral beliefs, making fictional Virgil appear to be an older, stronger and wiser version of Dante.ĭante also had huge admiration for the poet Virgil. Virgil as a master poet is also depicted very evidently in Canto IV of the Inferno, where Virgil is greeted as “Prince of Poets” (Inferno 2.80) when they enter Limbo. Firstly, Dante was Italian, which, according to Virgil’s Aeneid was founded by the Trojan Aeneas and secondly, because the Aeneid deals in part with Aeneas descending into the underworld, exactly what the characters Dante and Virgil do in the Inferno. This poem dealt with the adventures experienced by Aeneas which gives reasons as to why Dante chose Virgil as his guide in the Divine Comedy. He was considered to be the Romans’ greatest poet, mainly thanks to an epic poem (which was viewed then as the highest form of poetic achievement) named the Aeneid. He was chosen by Dante as his guide in the Divine Comedy as “he fitted Dante’s poetic purpose from a multitude of angels”. Virgil, or Vergil as some write it, fully named Publius Vergilius Maro in Latin, lived from October of 70 BC to September 19 BC.

But first, let us take a look at who Virgil the poet is and why he is so significant in the Divine Comedy. From teaching Dante to protecting him when necessary, a clear father-son relationship forms between them throughout the poem, which makes the ending of Dante transcending Virgil the more surprising.

Though at first sight Virgil only seems to be a physical guide for Dante to lead him to his beloved Beatrice in paradise, on a deeper level, the ancient poet has many other functions which are highlighted greatly in the relationship between Dante the character and Virgil. There are several reasons with regards to why exactly Virgil was chosen, something which will be looked at later. As seen in the poem, the character Dante needs a guide to lead him to paradise and salvation and it is Virgil who was chosen by the author. It is very easily noticeable that Virgil plays a huge part in Divine Comedy as the pilgrim Dante’s guide, something which may reflect the importance Dante the author gives to Virgil in his own life. Undoubtedly, Virgil plays many roles in Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri, ranging from physical ones to spiritual and moral ones.

Virgil the divine comedy