esented, or symbolize, sinful love by example. They show how an intrinsically noble emotion, love, if contrary to Gods law, can bring two essentially fine persons to damnation and spiritual ruin. Dantes personal response of overwhelming pity should not blind us to the justice of the penalty. Dante describes himself as fainting at the end of Francescas recital, his purpose is partly to portray the attractiveness of the sin. Dante allows the lovers the bitter sweetness of inseperability in Hell, but they have lost God and thus corrupted their personalities; they can hardly be considered happy. In a sense, they have what they wanted; they continue in the lawless condition that they chose on earth. But that condition, seen from the point of view of eternity, is not bliss (p. 1695 par 2).Dantes enormous pity for the souls suffering in the Second Circle of Hell probably stems from his own deep love for Beatrice. he is understanding of those who have fallen because of love. This sympathy even extends to a certain leniency in his placement of some of the characters in this Circle. Dido, for example, committed suicide because of her unrequited love for Aeneas. Most souls that have committed suicide end up far deeper in Hell, but Dante chooses to place Dido according to her lesser sin, the sin of loving too much....
