Essay - Dante's Mid-life Crisis Summary: This Is A Paper That Describes...

DANTE'S MID-LIFE CRISIS

SUMMARY: This is a paper that describes Dante's journey through h***** 'mid-life' crisis. It uses 7 sources in MLA format and it has a list of bibliography.

Introduction

***** is a period in life in which adults take on new responsibilities, in the family, ***** at work and changes are often wrought within, not only in the physical but also in their spiritual self. The realities of life often stare them ***** the face, a very real possibility of death begins to strike *****m, their faith or lack of it is in doubt, very ***** there are cr*****es in personal or w*****k life, there is a general need to "reappraise previous life structures with an eye to mak*****g revisions while there is still time" (Huyck, 1997).

***** term of "mid-life crisis" was originally coined by Jaques (1965) who claimed that people encounter a ***** *****s they realize ***** own mortality *****d a change in time frame from "time since birth" ***** "time left to live." (Shek, 1996). Specifically, the mid-life crisis is often thought to include: worries about the future, inability to enjoy leisure time, a feeling of failing health is deteriorating, a neg*****tive evaluation of ***** marital relationship, a negative ***** of work life, and stress arising from taking care of the elderly. (Shek, *****). However,.".. it is now appreciated that a critical component of experiencing a cr*****is is being able to see it through ***** a resolution." (Atkinson, R., 2002)

***** mid-life s*****uation

The Divine Comedy is thought to be written ***** Dante's mature years. In th***** epic poem, ***** opening canto of Inferno ***** Dante's own mid-life situation as follows: "I found myself in a dark wood, for *****e straight way was lost. Ah, how hard it is to tell what that wood was, wild, rugged, harsh; the very thought ***** it renews the fear! It is so bitter ***** death is *****ly more *****." Ever since ***** existence of a mid-life crisis ***** been postulated, Dante's experience has become the metaphor ***** the middle life years. (Atkinson, *****., 2002)

In the context of a normal, socially prescribed rite ***** passage, a 'crisis' is ***** h*****lfway point through a natural process. If one focuses on only one part of a complete and purposeful process, one may miss the intent of the whole. People in traditional cultures accepted that the ***** cycle comprised stages and that gett*****g ***** the times ***** transition was a ***** *****. They did not fear ***** middle (i.e., the conflict or crisis) ***** of the process; because they knew it would be resolved eventually. (*****, R., *****) Dante ***** an ardent Catholic, as well as a Classicist who had been living the lfie of a pol*****ical exile away ***** his beloved Florence. In The ***** Comedy, he created a highly regimented Hell, developing a hierarchy ***** sins in ***** tradition of Greek philosophy. Each s***** was illustrated in well-kn***** figures ***** 14th century Italy ***** the legendary Greeks *****d Romans,