“PUNISHED IN THE SHAPE HE SINNED”: SIN AS SELF-PUNISHING IN DANTE AND MILTON
Open Access
Author:
Albanese, Laura B.
Area of Honors:
English
Degree:
Bachelor of Arts
Document Type:
Thesis
Thesis Supervisors:
Laura Lunger Knoppers, Thesis Supervisor Laura Lunger Knoppers, Thesis Supervisor Janet Wynne Lyon, Thesis Honors Advisor
Keywords:
Dante Milton contrapasso punishment Satan serpent
Abstract:
This paper explores the question of punishment as seen in Milton’s Paradise Lost. Milton’s conception of punishment was heavily influenced by Dante’s medieval epic, The Divine Comedy. The connection between the two works, while recognizable, can often be quite puzzling. Further research demonstrates how Milton expertly incorporates Dante’s Comedia into his own while also substantiating that influence within Milton’s epic.
