Matelda ?a Lady Moved by Love? :: essays research papers

In Dantes Divina Commedia, he takes on a journey with memorable characters,from the poets from antiquity, demons, giants, and finally too famous saints.Dantes and the character interaction with them ar what coiffe this story. They ar the legs on which this work was able to stand for so many years as amasterpiece. It was the characters that I most enjoyed it this work, you bumpyourself loving and hating the different shades you meet during Hell, thepenitents of Purgatory and the saints of Heaven. The most developed characterswe ascend in Commedia are Dante, Virgil and Beatrice. Yet there are several pip-squeakcharacters that if one olfactory modalitys more closely are just as raise as our mainstars. One such minor character is my favourite(a) Matelda, and also a perfectexample of Dantes brilliance in characterization.Matelda is a minor guide that helps Dante after Virgil disappears, and untilBeatrice takes him to heaven (Cantos XXVIII- XXXIII). Although Matelda may looklike a plain old static-stock character , her motives are tenuous, her actions conformable and she is plausible as a guardian angel type whose actions are jauntd by the Divine love in her.Dante the Character at this point in the story is about to leave the worldliterally and to meet his love Beatrice (who actually yells at him for his sin,before taking him to heaven). He has been left by his faithful guide, Virgil(which he doesnt even chance upon at first has been gone for a few cantos) and findshimself in the feed of a loving and beautiful hands of Matelda.Matelda is a perfect guardian angel for Dante at this point in his journey, andfaithful to helping him during this transition. ar her actions consistent? Yes.all are in line with Divine Love. We gain this trough her actions. We first meether she is the lovely creature that resides in the tend of Eden. At Dantesrequest she explains all of his questions. She guides him through the Garden and accordingly washes him clean and helps him to drink from the rivers of memories, allafter he gets reprimanded by Beatrice. all this is done out of Love, for it is ultimately Divine Love that motivatesher, motives that are pure in guiding her charge. For example Why are you so spirit on looking only at those living lights? Have you no wish to see whatcomes behind? This encouragement will help Dante to move forward to his goal.Yet I think its her purity of motives that make her a static character because