Blood is Life, Blood is Death

3) In Circle 7, the Violent are punished in three separate rounds depending on the nature of their violent tendencies. Choose one round within Circle 7 and explore an archetypal symbol that Dante uses there to explore the sin. You may, for example, look at the river of blood in Round 1 or the trees in Round 2 or the desert and fire in Round 3. Consider the archetype itself and then how Dante utilizes the symbol to enhance his own work.

Dante's Inferno is jam-packed with symbolism. Each canto and stanza of the Inferno possesses an alternative meaning. This was Dante's way of conveying his controversial theories and beliefs about society. Hidden in each vivid description and conversation is an allusion to his opinions on mankind and life.

In Circle Seven, Dante encounters a River of Blood in which people who were violent againsttheir fellow men were banished to boil for eternity. The blood in this circle of Hell represents the bloodshed of the people who were victimized by the violent sinner. The blood's molten, excruciating temperature is the punishment the sinners receive for initially spilling the blood. It is symbolic of God's scolding attitude towards the violent.

"So we moved along the bank of the scalding purple river

in which the shrieking wraiths were boiled and dyed." (96)

~ Image from Wikipedia

However, on a broader scale, the River of Blood represents much more. Blood is an archetypical figure which represents a multitude of meanings. Most commonly, the archetype of blood represents that of life. Even dating back to the Bible blood has represented vitality. It is believed that Jesus's blood is the blood which gives us life. Blood is the substance which humans and animals thrive on - without blood surging through our veins we would not live. Even the color of blood is sharp and lively, but in Circle 7 the blood in the river is described as "purple", which is not a natural, hue for blood to be. Purple blood signifies ill health, and in this case signifies the gloomy remorseful mental state of the souls regarding their punishment and sins. The River of Blood is ironic because what usually serves as the root of life is serving the sinners' fatal pain eternally. It suffocates the sinners, drowning them in guilt and immerses them in heavy and hot stagnant misery.

Interestingly, blood can represent death as well. When large amounts of blood are expelled from the body, fatality occurs. This also is a symbolic aspect of blood in Circle Seven.

The fact that the blood is flowing through a river is additionally metaphorical. A river is usually filled with cool, crisp water and inhabited by aquatic life. This river, however, is dank and laden with tortured spirits. Dante is attempting to illustrate the sharp contrast between life on Earth and life in hell. In this circle he once again tries to prevent all readers from committing sins - in this case, the sin of violence.

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• Below is another video from the EA Games video game Dante's Inferno. Although this is just a game, it provides correct depictions of the three rings of Circle Seven. Note the immense River of Blood.