Question

Explain the purposes behind Dante’s development and use of the contrapasso. Your answer should be at least 250 words.

Answer 1

What makes Dante's work so remarkable is his creation of the contrapasso - punishments in Inferno that ironically reflect or contrast the sin itself. We learn about this term in Canto XXVIII, when Bertran de Born states, "Thus is observed in me the counterpoise." In this, he is physcally separated by decapitation, and carries his talking head. He explains that his sin is a political one, by turning the Young King against his father.  

"Know that Bertram de Born am I, the same

Who gave to the Young King the evil comfort.

         I made the father and the son rebellious;

              Achitophel not more with Absalom

And David did with his accursed goadings.

         Because I parted persons so united,

              Parted do I now bear my brain, alas!"

(XXVIII, 142)

The purpose behind the contrapasso is to serve a divine karma to the souls of the Inferno. Instead of generalizing the punishment unfairly, each soul is tortured as a reflection of their chosen sin during their life. For instance, located in  the First Circle are unbaptized souls or virtuous pagans who are neither in Hell or out of it. While they have not sinned, they were unable to chose a side or accept Christ, which leaves them in a neutral area.

In contrast to this, Dante enters circles 2 - 9 and discovers more severe sins and their matching punishments. The outer ring of the Seventh Circle shows distinct differences between sinners that have commited violence. The punishment for violence is submersion in a river of boiling blood - symbolic for spilled blood - but highly violent tyrants are completely submerged, whereas those that commited less violence only sit ot stand in the boiling river.

Answer 2

I know i shouldn't be giving the answer to all you but the way they assigned the test to me was horrible so this is my own way of payback at them.

Here's my answer I will accept any critizizm if anything about my awnser is wrong.

Dante created contrapasso to use it in the divine comedy. The meaning behind contrapasso is suffering the opposite which means for whatever sin you have committed you shall receive the punishment that will be the opposite of whatever you did. For example, when Dante travels to hell and sees the seven circles, he sees each circle and their punishment the first circle deserved no punishment and only housed people who either did nothing wrong or babies who weren't baptized. These people were housed in this first circle were not punished for they did nothing wrong. Then we move onto the second circle were Dante is represented the sin lust were people who were here lusted for someone or denied their marriage etc. People who were here were violently swept back and forth by a very violent wind not allowing anyone caught in this wind to ever find peace or rest for eternity. Another example of the use of contrapasso is when Dante and Virgil go to the third circle of hell where they meet a worm monster named Cerberus, this name probably comes from the other mythology of a three-headed dog that guarded the gates of hell. However, people who were put in this third circle of hell sinned gluttony. People residing here were forced to lie in a horrible slush created by a horrid icy rain. This all symbolized degradation to the people who overindulged themselves with food or money. People here were never allowed to feel for themselves.