Fraud vs. Violence

      In Cirlces 7 and 8, Dante puts violence as a less severe sin than fraud. While it is still one of the worst of the sins, its order in Hell is very interesting compared to someone who was considered a flatterer. Dante continually refers to his once home of Florence and the politics within the city. The order of these to sins seems to reflect his political opinions regarding the overall welfare of the state, and how detrimental each can be to society.
      Within the rounds of the Seventh Circle are the sinners who have committed many different varieties of violent acts. These include those who have committed suicide, blasphemers, and even murderers. In today's society, these are about the worst of the worst. So why does Dante give them a shred more of respect than someone who had simply told someone a white lie to make them feel better? It goes back to Dante's idea on politics. Flatterers conceal the truth from those who may very well need the truth more than a false since of happiness. While it could be something as small as complimenting someone on their shoes when in reality they are hideous, it can be as large as a fake sense of trust between political leaders, "Down to this have the flatteries I sold/ the living sunk me here among the dead, "(148). This is spoken by Alexander Interminelli, a Florentine noble from a prominent family. From this Dante's judgement appears questionable unless you look at Dante's underlying opinions.
      This false sense of a stable relationship between leaders or nations could eventually lead to turmoil when crisis arrives. This is a ploy that is seen in politics today. Leaders of almost all nations will pretend to support another nations while face to face with their leader, there is an underlying sense of distrust between the two that can lead to trouble. Dante understands this particular aspect of politicians and how it can eventually disrupt the balance within the state.
      While Dante may not approve of violence, it appears as though he understands its place in politics and human emotion. In the text, Dante feels sorry for those who committed suicide, partly because that could have been a very real option for him after he was exiled. However, he puts Alexander the Great, a mass murderer and a conqueror farther up the scale than the flatterers, "These were the kings of bloodshed and despoilment. Here they pay for their ferocity," (96). Despite its horriffic nature, Dante realizes that it is a part of politics. No successful state has been able to survive without fighting some sort of battle. While those who are most successful tend to avoid war, they have established their power through some sort of violent struggle.
      Many believe that the order that Dante arranges theses groups of sinners in is flawed. Today's society may think differently than Dante did regarding these issues, but during this time period many would consider Dante spot on. It's the political side of Dante that determines the order of Hell, which is why almost all characters are political figures. While the order may be flawed to humanists of the day, politicians believe that Dante's order represents the order of how damaging these sins can be to the state.