The Inferno

For your second paper, write an essay that clearly and thoroughly addresses one of the prompts listed below:

Discuss the gradual, non-linear development of the character Dante (the pilgrim) throughout the Inferno.

Discuss the concept of contrapasso in the Inferno; then identify at least three quintessential examples of it and explain why each is great example of the concept.

Discuss the role of Virgil in the Inferno, focusing on how he differs from Dante, his rapport with the Dante, and what he seems to represent or symbolize.

Discuss fame (i.e., or the memory of one’s name) in the Inferno and its relative importance to the damned souls, the characters Dante and Virgil, and the writer Dante.

Discuss the role of the poet Dante (not the pilgrim/character) as fame-maker, prophet, and teacher in the Inferno.

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Essay Guidelines, Requirements, and Advice

Essays must have a heading, be double-spaced, appear in Times New Roman 12-pt font, and have 1” margins on all sides. Essays must also have a specific title.

Essays must have at least 800 words, with an introduction, a conclusion, and several well-developed body paragraphs. [Note: 800 words is the minimum required length.]

Do not use any secondary sources as you work on your essays. Resist the urge to “Google” your topic.

An essay that includes plagiarism from sources will receive a ZERO, which will make passing the course practically impossible.

Essays must have a clear thesis statement at the end of the introduction paragraph. Also, body paragraphs should focus on only one main idea, which should be explicitly stated in the first sentence of the paragraph (topic sentence). The rest of each body paragraph should contain explanation and illustration of that main idea.

Use specific evidence from the text to support all of your assertions/claims, including quotations and paraphrases, but do not lose your own voice by stuffing in too many quotations. Accordingly, you should avoid overly long quotations. Nevertheless, you should present enough evidence to prove any assertion/claim made is well supported by the text(s), and make sure to explain how the evidence you present logically supports your interpretation.

To support and develop your ideas, logically and grammatically integrate short quotations into your own sentences; no quotation should be standing alone in an essay: i.e., no dropped quotations.
For citation purposes, place the line number(s) in parentheses after each quotation, paraphrase, or summary in your paper—for example, (23.132-134) for lines 132 through 134 of Canto 23. [Note: the order of punctuation for a quotation is closing quotation marks, then parenthetical, then period.] Also, remember to use a slash ( / ) to indicate line breaks in the text when quoting more than one line of the poem and to put four or more full lines of text in long quotation format.

Essay grades will be based on the thesis, organization, support and development of ideas, insight into the subject, clarity, style, and mechanics (punctuation, grammar, and spelling).
PROOFREAD your essay; scour it for errors and omissions. One of the most effective ways to make sure that your paper “flows” and is free of careless mistakes is to print it out and read it aloud (hint: trust your ear—if you stumble over parts of your draft when you read it aloud, chances are your reader will, too). This process should be done several times until the draft is flawless.
Avoid second-person (“you, “your,” “you’re”), as well as the words “thing(s)” and “stuff” (as a noun).