I went back home last weekend, after a LONG period of time. And naturally, with my brother being home, we brought our XBox out of hibernation. One game which I particularly enjoyed playing was Dante's Inferno. Okay. I'll admit it. I'm a big fan of redemption storylines (Jaime from GoT, or Anakin Skywalker from Star Wars) . Good guys are good, but bad guys going good is even better. So when you get this crusader who has just returned from the Holy War and is willing to go through the nine circles of hell to redeem himself and save his beloved, it is hard not to side with him.
Dante, on his return to Acre, finds his wife and father murdered and is soon stabbed by an assassin thereafter. Unable to comprehend the fact that he would be going to hell (the bishop left that part out of the contract), Dante battles Death itself and claims his scythe (yep. Death's dead). He then goes to the church to claim his wife's cross, and falls into hell to begin his journey.
Guided by Virgil, Dante begins his descent into the circles of hell. Throughout his journey he meets people he knows, such as his father (Greed) and his mother (Violence). Beatrice, who has tasted the forbidden fruit is now with Lucifer, and unable to find a way to free her Dante agrees to take her place in hell. This sacrifice absolves Beatrice, leaving Dante free to face Lucifer and finish his fight. After defeating Lucifer in a fierce battle, Dante's soul is absolved by the souls he freed, and he is carried to paradise with Beatrice. A happy ending.
Facing our sins, and more importantly our fears, is something we all run from. But sooner or later (and hopefully it won't need a journey to the underworld) we will have to face them. The reason why redemption stories are so close to my heart is because even though we may not be able to control the circumstances or change the past, what we can control is the present and what we choose to do with it.
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