# Thomas Harris and Dante Alighieri



## Watakshino (Sep 24, 2003)

Is there anyone else who has read Dante's _The Divine Comedy _and Thomas Harris _Red Dragon_, _The Silence of the __Lambs_, and _Hannibal_? I read Dante years ago. I just finished reading Harris' books and I began to wonder if those books are an homage to Dante. There are so many correlations between the works that it is almost too obvious. I had to look on the internet to see if there was anyone else who thought the same way, and I found a great place that talks about this theory in great detail. The theory is that the entire story of Hannibal Lecter takes place in the afterlife. They are all dead and in hell. One clue to this is when Will Graham, the man who caught Lecter, is asked how he managed to capture Hannibal, and will responds, "I let him kill me." Is it possible that Harris wrote his own present-day version of Dante's work and passed it off to a 21st century audience who loved it?


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## Darkshine (Sep 24, 2003)

Wow. I never even thought of that Watakshino. Interesting insight!


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## Fantasia (Sep 25, 2003)

It *is* interesting.  To tell you the truth, it never occurred to me that they were similar at all. X'D  Even now that you mentioned it, I'm still groping for the connection (but then, I haven't read Hannibal and Red Dragon.)  

On a side gush: Dante Alighieri's Inferno shall remain, to me, one of the greatest, most unbelievably fantastic works of literature.  I'm a big fan.


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## Anonymous (Sep 25, 2003)

Yeah, it would probably help tremendously if you got a chance to read those two books. But in the mean time, here's a link to a site that talks about the correlations better than I could: 
http://www.pentaone.com/cgi-bin/hannibal/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=chat;action=display;num=1050074096

It's a lot of reading but if you have the time and are interested, I would suggest looking it over.  

Dante is definately a great writer.   I love his work.


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## darkheartedwanderer (Jan 1, 2004)

*Dante....*

I just finished reading Dante's Inferno....oh my god it was good....definately a good read...

~ Wayne Ser ~

*"Through me the way into the suffering city,
Through me the way to eternal pain,
Through me the way that runs among the lost.
Justice urged on my high artificer;
My maker was divine authority,
The highest wisdom, and the primal love
Before me nothing but eternal things 
Were made, and I endure eternally.
Abandon every hope, who enter here."*~ Dante (Inferno...Inscription on the Gate of Hell)


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## Guest (Jun 10, 2004)

You bring up an interesting point. I have read all of the listed Thomas Harris books and Dante's Divine Comedy. And now that I think about it, Harris is a modern Dante. 

Great question and insight!!!!!
 :cheers:


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## Jane Jones (Jun 11, 2004)

*Re: Dante....*



			
				darkheartedwanderer said:
			
		

> *"Through me the way into the suffering city,
> Through me the way to eternal pain,
> Through me the way that runs among the lost.
> Justice urged on my high artificer;
> ...



I have seen a painting of this gate.  I loved Dante's Inferno, it was a masterpiece, one of my all time favorites...


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