Guide Through Hell- "Speak of the Devil"

“Speak of the Devil”

If I were to take a trip through hell and needed a guide, I would with out a doubt choose the devil himself. Who better than the head honcho of hell himself to lead me through his kingdom? (Alliteration J) But to truly determine whether the devil is a good choice as a guide through hell, it is imperative to analyze whether or not he has the necessary characteristics of an effective guide like Virgil.

One necessary characteristic of a guide in hell has to be his “know-how” in getting around. In this aspect, the devil is the perfect individual for the job. Who knows hell better than the devil? This aspect of the job is particularly important because without the proper “know-how,” a trip through hell would be virtually impossible. For instance, if Dante did not have Virgil as his guide, then he would not have known to throw one end of his belt into a ravine filled with black water, which summons Geryon, and transports him to the final zone of the seventh circle of hell. Knowledge like this is crucial to a guide, and without it, the guide is useless. Therefore, Satan would be the perfect individual for the job simply because he knows his way around hell like the back of his hand.

The second vital characteristic of a guide through hell is that he has to have a commanding presence. Time and time again we see the necessity of Virgil’s commanding presence. Without a commanding presence, Virgil would be unable to progress in his quest through hell, and would then be unable to guide Dante through hell effectively. This same characteristic needs to be found when determining an effective guide through hell, and because Satan has this characteristic, he would once again be the perfect man for the job.