Dante Alighieris Road to Success Essay - 850 Words

To many outsiders, America is known as the Land of Opportunity. Many believe that by coming to this country that they will suddenly gain a new life. The American Dream is one that many philosophers have studied, and seems to this day very real, yet rare. However, the reason it isn’t very common isn’t strictly due to the economy, but the laziness that is acquainted with the term â€Å"freedom.† Dante Alighieri’s famous text The Inferno outlines many moral ideas. In this tale, a man named Dante the Pilgrim takes a voyage into Hell with Virgil. They go through many different levels and circles of Hell that each represents an important sin or crime. Though it is a highly controversial book, there is one specific passage that is important†¦show more content†¦Virgil states in his Dante’s tale: â€Å"‘Up on your feet! This is no time to tire!’ my Master cried. ‘The man who lies asleep will never waken fame, and his desire and all his life drift past him like a dream, and the traces of his memory fade from time like smoke in the air, or ripples on a stream†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (pg. 207 lines 46-51) The importance of this is that if you don’t utilize your time alive, then your memory will go away. You can’t make history â€Å"going through the motions.† Therefore, to anyone who craves success, they must do as Virgil says. They must abandon their laziness, and go out there. Secondly, the theme of finding strength in oneself can be seen throughout Alighieri’s text The Inferno and the ways in which it helps success is inherent. In the passage, Virgil then states: â€Å"‘Now, therefore rise. Control your breath, and call upon the strength of soul that wins all battles unless it sink in the gross body’s fall.’† (pg. 207 lines 51-54) This is saying that you must control your breath. Anyone who has faced anxiety at one point in their life knows that breathing relate s to calmness. If anyone is facing a panic attack, calming one’s breathing helps to control the situation. Therefore, Virgil is telling Dante the Pilgrim to calm down. Then he say’s to call upon his strength. Many ask what this means†¦ and it’s not easy to answer. Many different people interpret it in their own way. Some say he said to call on