Question

Dante's reaction to Francesca in Canto V has provoked differing interpretations. Some read the scene as evidence that he is sympathetic to passionate love—that the sin of lust is of less consequence than the humanity of the lovers—and that is the real moral lesson here. Others believe the scene demonstrates how dangerously seductive Francesca is and that love and lust are the same things to her. She is in this circle of Hell because she refuses to take responsibility for her actions. And what about Paolo—is he the seducer or the victim? What do you think? Based on your understanding of Dante, what is the lesson he wants us to learn?

Answer 1

Dante chooses a character who represents a sin and expresses poetically who committed that sin.

Step-by-step explanation:

Answer 2

I could be said that Dante might see what happened between Francesca and Paolo as adultery or lustfulness which might be considered to be the least hateful sin of incontinence. In his idea of Hell, the sinner chooses his/her sin and fails to repent. However, in the case of Francesca and Paolo, she did not choose her sin (adultery) but a weakness of will and as she was killed, she did not have the opportunity to repent.
Dante seems to choose a character who represents a sin and expresses poetically who committed that sin.