Dante’s Inferno-Dante and Virgil

Relationship between Dante and Virgil

Dante’s Inferno Analysis 

Introduction

There is an evolution in the relationship between Dante, who is a pilgrim, and the guide Virgil throughout Dante’s Inferno. In the analysis of the transformation in this relationship of the two as sojourns through the hell’s circles, Dante’s mindset can easily be learnt as a poet. From the onset of the presentation, Dante is seen to be holding very high esteem for Virgil, whom he considers as his genius in literary work and is ultimately subservient to. However, as this two continue in their relationship, Dante’s is enlightened spiritually through the facilitation of Virgil. At the end, Dante is seen to have ascended to the high spiritual level similar to that of Virgil and even surpassing Virgil in spirituality.

Virgil’s relationship with Dante

Virgil’s relationship with Dante is based on seeing him through the different levels in Hell. Virgil was to show Dante the consequences of him failing to change and come back to God in his life. From the onset, Dante had a lot of doubts regarding the expedition that he was on. The relationship with Virgil crops when he reveals to Dante that he had been sent by St. Lucy and Beatrice from heaven to give him guidance and protection.

The relationship through the Journey

Most of Dante’s inspiration came from Virgil. Throughout their relationship, Virgil turns out to play vital roles in the success and spiritual growth of Dante in all the levels through hell. For instance, Dante is metaphorically portrayed as a poet in the Purgatorio. This plays as a major shaper in the relationship between the two. Here, Dante leaves the cruel sea which is Hell and navigates, coursing towards the waters that are better. This metaphor appears familiar as Virgil had previously used it. The information about Virgil exists in two different aspects, one in literature form and the other in history of which he seems to be portrayed differently. More insight into the character of Virgil is acquired through the reading of his writings which is different from that presentation in the history books. Dante portrays the character of Virgil as being strong and brave and one who offers familiarity and comfort to him. This is the same manner in which Virgil is portrayed in the Aeneia. The relationship between Virgil and Dante is seen to be a strong one, especially considering that Dante values Virgil and treats him with much reverence and respect as a writer. This is the reason behind the presentation of most of Dante’s comedy in the style of Virgil. To Dante, Virgil is an important figure in his life and he looks up to him in a lot of ways. This relationship seems to evolve in the Purgatorio, where Dante does not regard Virgil just as a mere friend but has deep trust in him. This relationship between the two grows to an abnormal level and is close to being the relationship exhibited between a father and a son. This is so because Dante grows to have utter and complete trust in Virgil.

The Vestibule Hell

The relationship between Dante and Virgil is seen to be developing as they move through various circles in Hell. From the ‘vestibule’, Dante and Virgil head for the ferry to cross the over to the proper Hell across the Acheron River. Charon, who is piloting the ferry, insists that Dante should not enter the ferry on the basis that he is a living being. This forces Virgil to intervene and go to the line; ‘Vuolsi così colà dove si puote’ and which translates to the words ‘so it is wanted there where the power lies’. He used this to refer to the fact that Dante’s journey was headed to grounds that were divine. Once they cross to the other side, Dante is guided by Virgil through all the circles in Hell. This is how important Virgil was to Dante.

Virgil is seen to be guiding Dante through his journey in Hell. Their relationship is firmly based on the fact that every one of them has to fulfill his roles and fate through their journey therefore making it possible for us to be able to analyze the mindset of the two. Dante’s subservience to Virgil at the beginning is evident. This kind of regard that Dante holds shows the magnitude of respect and honor that he has toward Virgil and is further exhibited in the lines; “May my long study and the intense love that made me search your volume serve me now” Dante further goes ahead to say, “You are my master and my author, you-the only one from whom my writing drew the noble style for which I have been honored.” In this aspect, their relationship seems to be stronger and one built in mutual respect. (Dante & Mandelbaum, 1988. Pg. 122-125). It is easy to recognize the way the two refer to each other throughout their journey in Hell. Dante shows his regards to Virgil, who he views as his mentor, in various ways. Sometimes Dante calls Virgil, ‘Lord’, ‘Teacher’, ‘Master’, My guide’ or even ’sage’. Virgil is seen on many occasions to be referring to Dante as ‘son’. By this, it clearly maps the type of relationship that existed between the two as more of a father-son relationship.

Virgil’s role

Virgil’s importance is seen in another level. He is portrayed as an elder who is wise and employs the use of a lot of fairy tales and myths. These add up to guide the heroine and the heroes throughout the dangers in their journeys, thus, leading them to the treasures that they most often than not seek. This facilitates the strengthening of the relationship between Virgil and Dante as Dante’s reverse for Virgil is intense that he learns a lot from him even in his poetry. Dante sets ready to do all that he is told by Virgil because of the complete trust that he has in him. This is the reason that sees his inspiration to go and guide Dante through to the dark woods. This relationship is further instrumental in motivating Dante to keep on with his going even in times when he seems to want to turn back.

Conclusion

The journey through hell greatly changes the relationship that Dante had with Virgil through a series of evolutions. The relationship that exists between Dante and Virgil is a case that presents the possibility of humans having strong values and concern for the other. This strength in a relationship can lead to a presentation of an indifferent that is very strong in contrast or the hostility that the demand’s souls show to one another. 

References

Dante, A., & Mandelbaum, A. (1988). The Divine Comedy of Dante Alighieri, Inferno: A verse translation, with an introduction by Allen Mandelbaum. New York, N.Y: Bantam Books.

http://danteworlds.laits.utexas.edu

 

 

 

 

Innovation and Motivation

Innovation

Introduction

                    Innovation refers to development based on acquiring new customer’s values by the offering of solutions that ultimately meet needs that are inarticulate, new needs, market needs and old customer needs in the ultimate value of addition of new ways. Herzog (2011) argues that, innovation is among the key factors that motivate employees in a business setting.

Innovation in motivation

                    In as much as innovation has proved to be an important ingredient to the successful operations in any business, it is evident that the achievement of innovation entails stimulation of the generation of other new ideas in the employees. According to Herzog (2011), the employees need to be innovative and creative themselves. This enhances motivation in as far as performance management is concerned.

                   Herzog (2011) argues that, innovation sets up motivation in employees as it involves the employees’ ability to take new ideas that will satisfy the customers’ increasing needs that are satisfactory. Once the employees feel innovative, the confidence is boosted thus there is a hike in performance management. This greatly benefits the business. Employees in government and public sectors when motivated do increase their productivity as better ways are always built towards effective and efficient working. This motivation is largely achieved through innovation among the employees, who get confident especially after getting new ways to solve both new and old problems.

Reference

Philipp Herzog (2011). Open and Closed Innovation. Heidelberg: Springer.

 

i am…

i am

i am who i think i am.

Effects of social media on relationships

Effects of social media relationships

Social media has impacted on the 21^st century’s communication. There has been advancement in the way people engage in various aspects of their lives. The social media has transformed the median and modes for shopping, networking and gathering of information in less than a decade. Many people have been drawn into the use of the social media, thus, there is an increase in information traffic in the internet. For instance, Facebook has close to one billion users, twitter having around 150 million people twitting everyday among other blogs. Through the social media, people get to interact across the globe hence creating a lot of impact on the relationships. Facebook incidentally has 50 percent of the 800 million users log in on a daily basis, and each having approximately one hundred and thirty friends. The trend in communication in today’s society has become computer meditated and people cannot imagine life without twitter, Facebook  smart phones or other social media. This trend has advanced the level of communication hence setting a shift in the mode of interaction between families, friends and lovers from the early ways to a digital bases system. This shift has caused both positive and negative impacts in relationships and fueled the ability of making relationships between individuals. (Gallo, 2011)

Break ups in relationships

With the increase in the use of social sites lie Twitter and Facebook in our interactions on a daily basis, there is a question as to whether the use of such sites is responsible for the twists and turns in relationships. The sites are indeed responsible for the falling out of various relationships as a result of behaviors that are inappropriate that are acquired from using the sites. However, there is still a question as to whether the sites are to blame for this or whether we as the users should be held accountable and be responsible with or behaviors. The truth is that there are emergence of more brake ups in relationships with the increase of communication among peers and friends via the social sites. A lot of studies have pointed to the fact that the social media is responsible for a number of break ups in marriages and relationships. This is basically because most people spend most of their time in social media conversing with individuals of the opposite sex. This does lead to lack of trust and creation of jealousy among people in relationships thereby causing a fall out between them.

Facebook and relationships

Wood, (2011) states that Facebook specifically has been harmful in a lot of relationships. This is because through it there has been a lot of suspicion and jealousy among those in relationships. Facebook and other social networks make starting of relationships a very easy thing. People can interact and start affairs easily from the comfort of their couches and agree to start relationships. However, the same Facebook also ends relationships very easily as various research has indicated that Facebook is responsible for lot breakups.

There are comments and postings especially to the opposite sex that do cause a lot of jealousy and lack of trust at first glance. These posting that are done to opposite sex individuals are the causes of havoc in relationships that are sometimes experiencing other problems. Through social media, there is an increase in the opportunity to meet people on the other side of the world who you could not have met in real life. This has increased the levels of cheating in relationships. People have developed bad behavior in their relationships. However, it is important to note that the social networks do not force people to engage in acts that they do not want to engage in and therefore the responsibility lies squarely on us who are using the sites. This means that people have to be accountable for all that they do in the social media and do not blame the social media for their cheating. Through the social media, people have been engaging in unfaithfulness. Having Facebook and Twitter accounts have definitely has a lot of impacts in relationships; impacts that are more often than not mounting to a lot of conflicts. (Al-Deen & Hendricks, 2011)

Starting relationships

Apart from affecting existing relationships, the social sites also increase the ability of people to start romantic affairs. Actually nearly one third of the population using the social sites agrees to the fact that it is possible to start a romantic relationship through the social sites. This eventually points to the fact that Facebook communications and can grow from the status of more than just a friend request to a serious affair. This is usually geared if the individual in question has flashy profiles to his picture like for example, being a C.E.O or other fancies responsibilities. For those who are single or not ties to relationships, this is a pro on their side. This is because through the social sites, opportunities for dating are opened up and they have a variety of people to engage with in open dating before settling down in a serious and committed affair. However, this is prone to cause problems to those who are already in commitment relationships as it makes them prone to unfaithfulness. It has been referred to as putting the kid in a store of candy and instructing the kid not to taste the candy itself. Committed relationships are always faced with lack of trust and jealousy in the event that social media is used by either party.

Misinterpretation

People spend a lot of their time chatting and communicating in Facebook. This activity causes a lot of stir especially when it involves people of the opposite sex and the mate does not know about it or even does not know them. The mates do feel insecure and lose the trust they had in their mate simply because of involvement in Facebook. There have been arguments concerning whether mates should be privy to the friends that their fellows engage in. this has a lot of curses as well as blessings in our relationships. It could be good but also bad in a larger extent. This is because as humans, we have the tendency of analyzing things a lot and in details that nay be misrepresented. This can lead to making conclusions based on assumptions hence creating a lot of mistrust and jealousy in relationships unnecessarily. In this case, one would be better off not monitoring or having any idea as concerning the online friends and communication that his or her mate has through the various social networks.
Through Facebook and Twitter, there is a lot of flirting between individuals of the opposite sex, which could be disastrous to ones relationship. These are the same problems that would be experienced in the event that these things are done in the real world aside from the social networks. In this case, it is considered that one person’s unfaithfulness should not be tagged or attributed to the use of social media because the same would have happened in the usual world outside Facebook or Twitter. It is therefore concluded that one’s behavior in social network is the same one went out of the social network.

Misinterpreting the posts in social networks is also a cause for rocking relationships. For instance, a guy can post in a girls wall that he longs for meeting her that particular night. The boyfriend of the lady may see the post and feel jealous maybe because he may interpret the post to mean that his girlfriend has been having another affair with the guy who posted in her wall. In this case, social media is responsible for the breakups in relationships. Other private conversations in social media have ended up causing problems in the relationships. Trust is most often than not lost in the relationships. (Bryfonski, 2011)

Conclusion

Some may argue that Facebook, Twitter and other social sites are not to blame for the problems experienced in relationships but one thing is clear; they contribute towards mistrust, jealousy and cheating. All these contribute to the ending of a lot of relationships. This is especially because most of the posts made by individuals and those made on the walls of individuals are seen by the other partner. Also, one cannot control and has less control over what other are to post in the walls therefore there is always a risk of having something suspicious being posted in ones wall that may be responsible for ending the relationships.

References

Al-Deen, H, Hendricks, J. (2011). Social Media: Usage and Impact. UK: Lexington Books.

Bryfonski, D. (2011). The Global Impact of Social Media. Greenhaven Press.

Gallo, C. (2011). The Effects of the Internet on Social Relationships: Therapeutic Considerations. Bloomington: IUniverse. 

Wood, J. (2011). Communication in Our Lives. NY: Cengage Learning.

 

 

 

 

 

INNOVATION

Innovation

Introduction

                    Innovation refers to development based on acquiring new customer’s values by the offering of solutions that ultimately meet needs that are inarticulate, new needs, market needs and old customer needs in the ultimate value of addition of new ways. Herzog (2011) argues that, innovation is among the key factors that motivate employees in a business setting.

Innovation in motivation

                    In as much as innovation has proved to be an important ingredient to the successful operations in any business, it is evident that the achievement of innovation entails stimulation of the generation of other new ideas in the employees. According to Herzog (2011), the employees need to be innovative and creative themselves. This enhances motivation in as far as performance management is concerned.

Herzog (2011) argues that, innovation sets up motivation in employees as it involves the employees’ ability to take new ideas that will satisfy the customers’ increasing needs that are satisfactory. Once the employees feel innovative, the confidence is boosted thus there is a hike in performance management. This greatly benefits the business. Employees in government and public sectors when motivated do increase their productivity as better ways are always built towards effective and efficient working. This motivation is largely achieved through innovation among the employees, who get confident especially after getting new ways to solve both new and old problems.

Reference

Philipp Herzog (2011). Open and Closed Innovation. Heidelberg: Springer.