The bildungsroman genre is an essential form of literature employed to describe a protagonist’s progression of character throughout a work. The genre is defined as "a novel that has as its main theme the formative years or spiritual education of one person," and Dante Alighieri’s The Divine Comedy fits this definition (Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd edition, volume II, p. 108). Through careful analysis of specific imagery and articulate word choice in the first canto of the Inferno, Dante illustrates his own character as an individual in need of spiritual progression, allowing The Divine Comedy to be seen as a bildungsroman.
Although Dante wrote The Divine Comedy before the Romantic style of the bildungsroman entered into the world of literature, he would have been aware of the ideas employed in such a genre. For example, Dante was conscious of a comparable style in epic poetry, longer poems that discussed the educational process and the benefits an individual receives from going through such a process. Epic poetry also discussed the process of maturation through a journey motif, similar to the ideas of a bildungsroman. A bildungsroman text often uses natural imagery to discuss the journey that a character is to undergo. Throughout this journey, the character often questions their commitment or chances of actually succeeding. Furthermore, once the character recognizes his/her need to progress, whether that progression is spiritual, mental, or physical, it then becomes attainable.
Therefore, to discuss The Divine Comedy as part of the bildungsroman genre, the reader must begin with a discussion of language and imagery of the first canto. Dante immediately emulates the stereotypical bildungsroman characteristic of presenting the reader with a need for progression in the opening tercet. "When I had journeyed half of our life’s way,/I found myself within a shadowed forest,/for I had lost the path that does not stray" (Dante, I, 1-3). This quote makes the reader aware that Dante desires to "journey," or progress, at this halfway point in his life. This becomes obvious through the discussion of losing something that "does not stray," which seems an inconceivable idea. This idea seems implausible because the path is defined as something that is not able to be lost. However, Dante has succeeded in doing so. Therefore, combining desire, Dante’s longing to progress, with inconsistency, losing a followable path, Dante exemplifies the need for his character to take a spiritual journey.
Dante illustrates this necessity for progression in line ten, where he enters into a trance-like state. "I cannot clearly say how I had entered the wood;/I was so full of sleep just at/the point where I abandoned the true path" (I, 10-12). Here, the text focuses on Dante’s inability to see his way towards development. This is a defining characteristic of the bildungsroman protagonist, where the character is unsure of how he will develop if he has no solid starting point. Dante emphasizes this idea by not only stating his character’s inability to see how this progression will take place but by also placing his character in a dreamy state. Being in such a condition allows the reader to understand the multitude of inhibitions the character faces before any progression can be made. The language in the opening lines leads the reader to a key image in deciphering why The Divine Comedy can be viewed as a bildungsroman.
The image comes to the reader through language that involves nature, another characteristic of a bildungsroman. "But when I’d reached the bottom of a hill-/it rose along the boundary of the valley/that had harassed my heart with so much fear-/I looked on high and saw…/that same planet/which serves to lead men straight along all roads" (I, 13-16). The notion of being on top with the sunshine alludes to Dante’s desire to develop his character. This is seen through the language describing his aspiration to reach the top, a stereotypical image of success. His yearning is to arrive at the road that the sun points to, the path that leads men "straight." However, the image of him starting in a valley, a low point, and his heart being "harassed" by fear allows the reader to observe the internal struggle that such a character goes through in beginning a spiritual journey. Dante acknowledges that he is not on the path to righteousness. This becomes Dante’s goal then: to obtain the knowledge to locate the path of virtue in his own life. If this can be attained, then he can follow this path and his spiritual development can be completed. "At this my fear was somewhat quieted" (I, 19). The reader can see this has become his goal in line nineteen, as the idea of the finding the road quiets his fear.
After Dante recognizes this aspect of his current condition, he proceeds to make an introspective assessment of his existing character. "And just as he who…/turns back/to watch the dangerous waters he has quit/so did my spirit, still a fugitive, turn back to look intently at the pass/that never has let any man survive" (I, 22-27). Here, he refers to his spirit as a "fugitive." A fugitive is one who is fleeting from circumstances that are intolerable to one’s self; in this instance, Dante labels his soul a fugitive because it was constrained before. However, these lines introduce another bildungsroman attribute into The Divine Comedy: through recognition of the need for development, the character can begin their journey. Dante’s choice of imagery of looking back represents the most significant stumbling block to a protagonist of a bildungsroman. However, Dante has taken the first step towards progression by overcoming an initial barrier, a path that no man has overcome. Still, how can one’s spirit progress if it cannot look forward but only backward? With this question pending, Dante answers accordingly to quiet the reader’s minds.
In line thirty-seven, Dante details the time of day during which this opening canto takes place. "The time was the beginning of the morning;/the sun was rising now in fellowship/with the same stars that had escorted it" (I, 37-39). In these lines, Dante foreshadows what is to develop in the remaining portion of the text. First, he describes that it is morning; the entire day is before them and still to develop. The comparison to be drawn here is the idea of a developing day to a newly developing soul. Second, he divulges that the sun rises in "fellowship", or with some sort of partner, that is in opposition to the sun. For the sun, the oppositional partners are the stars. Dante foreshadows what is to come by allowing the reader to know that a partner will join Dante on his journey. In this case, Dante’s partner is Virgil. Virgil becomes an excellent choice to complete this idea of oppositional partners: while Dante is still living, Virgil is not.
With the introduction of Virgil and this aforementioned partnership in place, Dante employs the heroic poet to jumpstart Dante’s journey. "But why do you return to wretchedness?/Why not climb up the mountain of delight,/the origin and cause of every joy?" (I, 76-78). Virgil functions as the motivation that Dante needs to begin his progression. This is another typical bildungsroman quality, where some person or some event becomes the immediate stimulus for the character to start progressing.
After Virgil questions Dante, thus making him aware of his need for this maturity, Virgil recognizes what he perceives to be Dante’s ultimate goal. "And you shall see those souls who are content/within the fire, for they hope to reach/-whenever that may be-the blessed people./If you would ascend as high as these, a soul more worthy than I am will guide you" (I, 118-122). At this point, the reader understands that not only does Dante see the need for his development but now another person observes it also. Here, the internal and external are linked to illustrate that Dante’s earlier assessment is accurate. The reader is aware that Dante has made such a choice by his response to Virgil’s appeal. "O poet-by that God-/whom you had never come to know-I beg you,/that I may flee this evil and worse evils,/to lead me to the place of which you spoke" (I, 130-133). In simple English, Dante fully proclaims his desire for fulfillment of his journey.
By the end of the canto, Dante has then established
his protagonist’s need to develop. The images and articulate language solidify
this idea by exposing the character as weak and in need of spiritual development.
The idea of The Divine Comedy as a type of bildungsroman is seen once
Dante’s initial character is developed. Thus, at the start of the second
canto, the journey has already begun. "The day was now departing…/and I myself
alone prepared to undergo the battle of the journeying" (II, 1, 3-4). From
here, Dante has only to look ahead, something he yearned to do from the beginning.