Berkeley College ENG 2205: Final Paper On Paolo And Francesca In Canto V

Paolo and Francesca in Canto V
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Paolo and Francesca in Canto V
In Dante’s Inferno “Canto V,” Dante meets people condemned because of committing sins of the flesh. Here, Dante calls out and a woman named Francesca comes forward to speak to him after realizing he is a living soul. Francesca recounts to Dante about her love story that led her to be condemned to the Second Circle of Hell. Despite Francesca and her lover Paolo being attractive, intellectual, and with charisma, they knowingly made the wrong decisions that sealed their tragic fate destined to remain in hell forever (Mazzotta 69). In this way, it is important to analyze how Paolo and Francesca failed by falling prey to lust, lacked self-control, let physical appearance control their decisions, and ultimately, falls from grace.
In Canto V, Paolo and Francesca knowingly allowed lust to guide their decisions and so they acted irrationally. Dante describes people in Second Circle of Hell as carnal sinners “Who reason subjugate to appetite” (Alighieri 32). This describes people who do not use logic to make decisions but let their bodily desires take precedence. Paolo and Francesca knew that the consequence of having an affair would be deadly but they still allowed themselves to succumb to it. She says, “That reading, and drove the colour from our faces;” as indication of the great physical desire she felt towards Paolo. While reading the book about the love of Lancelot and Guinevere, Paolo and Francesca were filled with lust for one another (36). Paolo and Francesca knowingly allowed themselves to be guided by lust at this point and made a decision based on this lust. When they started reading about an Arthurian legend that spoke of Lancelot and Guinevere love story, they felt that the book was speaking to them. They could not resist and so, “Kissed me upon the mouth all palpitating” (36). The description of Paolo’s body “palpitating” shows the extent of the lust they had for each other. According to Mazzotta (69), the kiss became motionless and endless because this misguided decision became the end of them. They both were killed during the kiss leading to their tragic fate.
Despite Paolo and Francesca attractive personality and intellect, they evidently lacked self-control. Ideally, it becomes apparent that both of them acted against their better judgment even though, they were of sound mind. Francesca writes, “That, as thou seest, it doth not yet desert me;” as an indication that desire for Paolo was so great that she felt she could not control herself or resist him (34). The lack of self-control led them to knowing get involved each other and forget their respective roles in the society. Francesca knowingly forgot that she needs to act like a married woman who respect and cares for her husband. On the other hand, Paolo knowingly fails to be his brother’s keeper. Their actions show people who are thoughtless in regards to the decisions they make. In reality, their actions show people who act in a manner that is selfish towards the needs of others. They lack the willpower to control their sexual urges towards each other and this led to grave consequences. ...