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Human suffering

Every mortal often experiences pain and suffering as they are all hardships that humans are meant to go through (Soelle). In Dante’s Shahnameh and the Inferno, human suffering and mortality are the subjects it’s centered around. Suffering can also be referred to as pain or distress that one experiences. Its often been seen that in the traditional cultures and the time periods people never considered the consequences of their actions if they were to take place in this mortal life or the afterlife thus from Dante’s inferno and Shanameh rely the impression that human suffering and misfortunes are as a result of one’s actions(Soelle). The inferno gives account for the different punishments for different kind of sins. Even though they are unbelievable the punishments were not meant to deter one from sinning. The Inferno seeks to answer the reasons for human suffering as well as answer the results of human suffering. Even though suffering results from the choices we make, Human suffering is regarded as unavoidable and inevitable.

The story of Rustem and Sohrab depicts an example of human suffering through tragedy. In Shahnameh, tragedy befalls a hero who from his own doing experiences pain and grief. In any tragedy often one person who usually is the hero is the centre of narration who around him all the stories come together to make the inevitable happen (Ferdowsi). The tragedy that befell Rustem who was imposing his will. Arrogance to some point could be attributed to the tragedy as both Rustem and Sohrab were arrogant to pay attention to the factors of recognition. Throughout Iranian mythology, Rustem is considered as a mighty hero as well as in the Shahnameh. Through his story of greatness, he shared a brief marriage with his wife who he left pregnant without his knowledge and years later unknowing to him tragedy struck whereby he killed his son Sohrab at the battlefield. This action caused much suffering and devastation that saw Rustem beat to guilt and shame. His wife also upon hearing the son’s death was heartbroken and died thereafter, this being a consequence of not telling the truth about his son (Ferdowsi).

Dante’s inferno shows and narrates an epic and devastating journey through hell, that begins with him meeting Virgil who was his guide throughout the story (Berg et al). He goes through the nine circles of hell whereby he views different sins and severity of their punishments that were severe as he progressed through the circles. Rustem’s tragedy shows his consequences and suffering of his actions being in this mortal life. The inferno by Dante shows the different consequences of different sins in the afterlife. He describes how he in the first circle of hell how he encountered pagans and virtuous non-pagans whom in an inferior form of heaven are punished for eternity (Berg et al). The second circle of hell he encounters an adulterous woman who was overcome by lust who were punished through being blown by strong winds violently back and forth so as not to have rest or peace. The severity of the punishment was proportionate to the sin (Berg et al). Dante explains how in the seventh circle of hell which is the circle of violence shows Brunetto Latini being punished for acts of brutality while on earth. During their encounter in the seventh circle, Brunetto refers to Dante as Son as a sign of endearment. He narrates how down the circle he met Judas who betrayed Jesus being held at the mountain of Satan and being chewed by Satan with his three mouths at the ninth circle of hell that is the worst with different sections (Berg et al).

These narrations in Dante’s both Inferno and Shahnameh relay the insights of human suffering, their causes and results. In an effort to understand human mortality the texts display how people deal with suffering as in Inferno punishment is eternal and, in the afterlife, while Shahnameh shows punishment to be in the mortal life however both texts agree that human suffering is a result of the actions and thus a consequence of their doing (Soelle). Sympathy and fear tactics are applied in both texts to try and influence people’s behaviors and reflect on their action consequences inspiring them to live a better life that is cautious. The texts depict of different forms of suffering in mortal life after they happen and eternal suffering in the afterlife.

Works Cited

Berg, Marcus, Enrico Pajer, and Stefan Sjors. “Dante’s inferno.” arXiv preprint arXiv:0912.1341 (2009).

Ferdowsi, Abolqasem. Shahnameh: The Persian book of kings. Penguin, 2016.

Soelle, Dorothee. Suffering. Fortress Press, 1989.