The hero of the Aeneid and the non-hero of Dante's Inferno Although Dante bases much of the structure of Inferno on the Aeneid, the central characters, the central voices of each, are used in very different ways. Dr. Andrew Bernstien, in his essay The Philosophical Foundations of Heroism, defines a hero as... an individual of high moral stature and superior abilities who tirelessly pursues his goals in the face of powerful antagonists. Because of his unwavering dedication to good, regardless of opposition, a hero achieves spiritual greatness, even if he fails to achieve practical victory. And that “...the four components of heroism: moral greatness, capacity or prowess, action in facing opposition and triumphing in at least a spiritual, if not physical, form. » The intrinsic conflict necessary to create a hero also reinforces the elements of rhetoric. Furthermore, a hero needs moral stature, which provides a powerful appeal to pathos. The form of the narrative itself, with the establishment of an antagonist within the conflict itself, provides a neat appeal to the logos for the larger argument to take hold of. Nevertheless, the ethical appeal is the most powerful element; the hero must stick to his convictions and demonstrate courage and sacrifice. These actions are the basis of ethics and give credit to the cause he defends. Aeneas fulfills the role of hero, becoming an excellent rhetorical tool; however, Dante fails in this attempt. Although not being a hero does not prohibit his use as a good rhetorical tool, Dante amplifies the comparative shortcomings by relying on his unique voice and period-specific details. Virgil uses powerful diction that focuses on Aeneas' actions and continually expands. .... middle of paper ......justifies the existence of Rome and its audience; he is courageous, valiant, loyal and he defends these ideals against all odds. Dante creates himself, then uses himself to justify nothing; he is shy, fearful, hypocritical, and he never has to stand up for anything. Dante's failure to create a hero, even though he relies on him as the mouth through which the story is told, deflates the overall argument. Virgil, on the other hand, exploits the main character, develops a hero and enhances each element of his argument. Works Cited Alighiere, Dante. Hell. The Divine Comedy of Dante Alighiere: a translation into verse. Trans. Allen Mandelbaum. New York: Bantam, 1982.Dr. Bernstien, Andrew. “The philosophical foundations of heroism.” 2000.http://www.mikementzer.com/heroism.htmlVirgil. Aeneid. Trans. Robert Fitzgerald. New York: Ventage, 1985.