Elizabeth Edwards’s death this past Tuesday, December 7 brought back a particular scandal to mind, one that I feel Dante would have strong feelings on. Back in October 2007, John Edwards was questioned about having an affair with Rielle Hunter, but he did not admit to the crime until early August 2008. It is an interesting idea that scandals in modern times are very similar to those back in the early Renaissance. In Dante’s Inferno, the sinners in circle two are the people guilty of lust. Contrary to my reaction, which was surprise and anger towards John Edwards, I believe that Dante would be a tad more forgiving and understanding than the general public because of his writing in circle two.
In August 2008, John Edwards, who had planned on running for presidency that year admitted to having an extra marital affair with Rielle Hunter, and later it was announced that he was the father of her child. All of this occurred shortly after Jon’s wife, Elizabeth, had been diagnosed with a resurgence of breast cancer. Rielle Hunter was part of John Edwards’s political action committee, and she followed him on the campaign trail, making videos and posting them on the internet. Not much was said until multiple tabloids found out she was pregnant. She claimed that her baby, Frances Quinn Hunter, was John Edwards’. He was questioned and refused to claim the responsibility until recently, when he admitted to being the father of the love child. This has been what the last three years of Elizabeth’s life have involved. Constant reminders of her husband’s affair and the death of her oldest son haunted her. This is a classic case of adultery and lust.
It is all too similar to the cases of adultery/lust in circle two of Dante’s Inferno. Take Paolo and Francesca for example. Francesca was Paolo’s lover and sister in law. Although the Edwards scandal does not include a family member, Paolo and Francesca were two people who were meant to be together. Dante’s views on lust are sympathetic and less harsh compared to the other sins because of the placement he put these sinners in hell. Dante says “" The other wept in such a way that blurred my senses; I swooned as though to die...” (31). This quote shows you how sad he feels for the lusters. They are in one of the higher circles, and the punishment, which is tumbling around in violent winds, is less harsh than other punishments in the Inferno. I think that Dante would feel a certain amount of empathy for John Edwards, because of his relationship with Beatrice, whom he loved and cared about deeply.
Lust and adultery were both things you had to worry about back when Dante wrote the Inferno, and are still issues today. About the Edwards scandal, I think that Dante would have reacted with patience and empathy as well as understanding, where as I, along with most of the general public reacted with outrage to find out that one of the leaders in today’s society had done something so wrong, and while his wife had cancer. The world was saddened to find out the sad news that Elizabeth died this past Tuesday, and we can only hope that Rielle Hunter stays out of the picture for a while.
