Dante Canto Five Line 121-138, Essay Example

Understanding Francesca’s Words

In the poem entitled Divine Comedy, several historical contemporaries were mentioned and used as characters encountered by the protagonist in the narrative as he traverse the three realms of hell, purgatory, and hell. One of these characters presented is Francesca da Rimini who is a historical figure with a story that is enveloped with love, tragedy, guilt, and betrayal. In her story, she was married to the Malatestan heir but fell in love rather with her husband’s brother committing adultery for which she was killed when her affair was discovered. In the poetic conversation that occurred in the literary piece, the words and expression used in the line of Francesca gave an idea about her characteristic and inner thoughts symbolizing her illicit action of committing adultery and irresponsible personality.

As expressed in the line of Francesca in the poem, her inner lustful thoughts were implied as she remembers about the past supposedly prior to her wedding engagement. In the line “No greater grief than to remember days of joy” (121-22), it is shown that she is secluding herself to the memories of her experience with another man during the period of her marriage; an act that is considered adulterous in those time. In the lines of Francesca “Alone we were, and no Suspicion near us” (128-129), it is implied that she committed a secret affair which is her act of adultery with her husband’s brother. Also, in the line “the hueFled from our alter’d cheek. But at one pointAlone we fell” (130-32) it is shown that she indeed has committed an intimate relationship with another man other than her husband.

Likewise, Francesca was also shown as a person who does not give much thought to her actions as being shrouded only with emotions compelling her on being impulsive. In the previously mentioned line (128-29), it was shown that Francesca hid her illicit relationship rather than doing the responsible path on pursuing her interest thus ending with the adulterous affair. At this point, it could be understood that she was lustful in a way that she pursued her fleshly desire rather than simply letting go of what was wrong and trying to create a response of rightful condition to her being and that of Paolo along with the supposed respect that she needed to give to her husband.

Further in the poetic conversation with Francesca, her thoughts on love and her justification with her actions were also presented through her words. With the line “The wished smile, rapturously kiss’d” (133), it is implied that there is indeed passion present in her illicit relationship with another man supposedly her husband’s brother. Likewise, she justified her adultery as an impulsive move based on love as through her words “Were love’s purveyors” (137).

The deception that occurred during the wedding pushed Francesca to commit a sense of adultery that further advanced to being a sense of lustful condition. The desire of staying with Paolo instead of doing the right thing and accepting the deformities of her husband labeled her to be somewhat lustful, seductive and irresponsible especially when she tried to deny of what wrong impulses she has committed. The wrong passion that she felt for Paolo was the source of a desire that kept her from doing what is right and remaining in an illusion of affair that can never be accepted to be true.