In Dante's Inferno and Herman Melville's Billy Budd, the views of justice, virtue, and truth are each addressed through the travels of Dante the character and Billy Budd. These two men make journeys that exemplify Dante and Herman Melville's philosophies. However distinct their views are, Melville's and Dante's books are used only to catch the attention of their readers and to influence the public to their own self-interested beliefs. Although Dante's Inferno and Herman Melville's Billy Budd both pose as books that reveal the secrets of justice, virtue and truth, both novels are only used to address the authors' own purposes and beliefs. The writing of these authors is tainted by their own beliefs and their opinions on truth, justice, and virtue are not pure.
In Dante's Inferno, Dante the character embarks on a journey through hell where he encounters the thorough and perfect justice of God through all nine levels of hell. The first passage in this book says, "Midway upon the journey of our life, I found myself in the dark wilderness, for I had wandered from the straight and true." (Dante, 3) In the beginning of this book, Dante the character has fallen off the path of righteousness. God gives him a second chance to regain the path. His guide, Virgil, was sent to fetch Dante by his love Beatrice to get her. After walking through as a witness through hell, Dante then moves on to Purgatory to continue the journey documented in the next book of the Divine Comedy.
The beliefs of virtue and truth of Dante's culture are influenced very much by the time and place that he lived in. Dante lived in Italy from the late twelfth century to the early thirteenth century.&nbs ...