Dante and Human Consciousness

I think that Dante wrote about human consciousness in his books.

In "The New Life" he refers to his growing awareness of his body

through his nascent desire for the Lady and the development

of his Imagination through the continual discussion of his sonnets

with his other contemporaneous poets like Cavalcanti and especially

his constant meta-references to the making and the possible endings

of his poems. In "The Divine Comedy", he extends his observations

about human consciousness through his love for Beatrice whose seeds

have been planted in "The New Life". Dante's awareness of the world

he lives in attains a universal dimension when we, as readers,

experience his trials and tribulations as he is led through

Hell by Virgil. Dante becomes more and more aware of the human

condition as he delves into the deeper levels of Hell and writes

about human deprivation and sin. The Purgatory paradoxically

becomes the realm of a possible salvation for humans who are

caught between their frailties and a possible earthly amendment

through repentance and atonement.