The Divine Comedy, "The Inferno", enhances the different aspects of modern societies violence and corruption in sixteenth century Florence. Dante writes on his views of the sins of society and creates this metaphorical Hell in Inferno. News from today can also relate back to The Inferno. the modern news portrays some of the themes in the different circles of Dante's work. One particular article entitled "Murder suspect's dad: Help sell cars, get an interview" portrayed a two sins within Inferno. One being in Circle eight, Bolgia five where he writes of the sin of the "Grafters". Another being in circle seven, round one on the sin of the "violent against neighbors". With modern society we can relate some of the themes Dante writes that were occurring in Florence during the seventeenth century and come to the conclusion that humans have not changed. Sin is sinand the same ones have been occurring for years and years. The article can also categorize the people into a circle in sin as what I believe Dante would have put them in when writing Inferno.
This following article is about the producer Bruce Beresford-Redman who is accused for the murder of his wife and his father David Beresford-Redman's response to reporters on the issue. Bruce Beresford-Redman issued a dismissal of the murder arrest warrant in court last month. Following the court appearance his father David Bereford-Redman, who previously refused to talk about the arrest or suspicion, decided to speak on the arrest of his son. Rather than a normal answer that would give the impression that his son did not murder the sister David only talked about cars. As a result of the arrest of his son and death of daughter-in-law, David and Bruce's mother have the control over his property so anything that they owned now is belonging to the parents. When David was interviewed by the reporters he only talked of the cars that belonged to his son and stated that the only way he would talk about the arrest would be ifsomeone would buy one of the three cars the son owned and the sale of the cars would go to Bruce Bereford-Redman's children. This was bizzare! What father would not speak on the arrest of his son but rather on speak if he was to be paid; especially for cars.
Dante would see the idea of David Beresford-Redman's desire to sell the cars or reporters having to get information out of him, as part of circle 8, boglia 5; the Grafters. The Grafters was another name for extortionists or blackmailers. This is clearly an example of blackmail. He [David] wouldn't release information about his son for the simple reason that he would not be getting anything in return. Now with the knowledge of a great deal of information on his sons arrest he would could gain money for himself and grandchildren by selling the cars. This was a striking article to me in the sense that who would sell cars in return for information to the world on someone so personal as his son. If this were to happen during the time of Dante writing Inferno he would have categorized David in the circle with the Grafter as a person who wanted to give out information on his son in return for money.
Another aspect of the inferno that is portrayed in the article would be circle 7 round 1; "violent against neighbors". The producer Bruce Beresford-Redman was accused as a murderer of his own wife. Dante would see this as being violent of people that he lives with or is within his country, his neighbor; or better yet someone so close as of his wife. Dante would look at Bruce with great disbelief in Florence society. This was probably something that rarely occurred, if even occurred. It was a unique example to our society. There was nothing heard of in Florence society with the murdering of a mans own wife so Dante would put Bruce in circle 7 round 1 of the Inferno as a person who acted violently towards their neighbor, (wife).
-Duke,Alan. "Murder Suspect's Dad: Help Sell Cars, Get an Interview." CNN.com. Web.
