"Dante himself is open to the suspicion of partiality: it is said, not without apparent ground, that he puts into hell all the enemies of the political cause, which, in his eyes, was that of Italy and God"
- Goldwin Smith
About this Quote
This quote by Goldwin Smith recommends that Dante Alighieri, the author of the Divine Comedy, may have been biased in his writing. Smith indicates that Dante might have liked the political source of Italy and God, and that this might have been mirrored in his writing. He suggests that Dante may have put every one of his adversaries right into Hell, which might be viewed as a type of revenge. This could be viewed as a kind of poetic justice, as Dante had the ability to punish those that opposed him in his writing. Smith's quote implies that Dante's writing may have been influenced by his political sights, which this might be viewed as a form of predisposition. This could be seen as a type of poetic justice, as Dante was able to punish those that opposed him in his writing.