A tree, seen through an archetypal view, is considered to be the essence of life and knowledge. A tree is all knowing and sees many things even if it is mute. Literally, trees can be seen as life because they give oxygen to human beings to live and are considered living themselves. However, the trees in Dante’s Inferno represent regret. The human beings that are stuck in the trees did not want to live and since trees show life, then the humans are still “living”.
A regular tree is not seen as what Dante pictured them as in his Hell. A regular tree is full of color and is very vibrant, showing the happiness in life. Trees are not just colorful but are very wise and no many secrets about the world. There have been many trees of “enlightenment” throughout the world, especially in religion. These “enlightenment” trees have changed the world completely with their knowledge. Dante describes the trees as, “not verdant, but nearly black./ The unhealthy branches, gnarled and warped and tangled,/ bore poison thorns instead of fruit,” creating a sense that these trees were not full of knowledge and life (Alighieri 102). The blackness and lack of color in the trees show that they are full of sorrow and regret. The unhealthy branches and poison thorns show the pain and suffering the trees have been through. The people inside of the trees are running away from their pain when they kill themselves but the trees still have the pain shown in the poison thorns and gnarled branches. Dante was trying to show a contrast between the archetypal trees and the Hell trees.
An archetypal tree also represents growth and the trees Dante encounters are considered dead but still “living” and do not grow. Also the trees Dante sees can only speak if their branches are broken and causes them great pain. In the above paragraph I explain about trees of “enlightenment” such as the tree that Muhammad sat under when God approached him. This tree talked to Muhammad but Muhammad did not break it to be enlightened. But, Dante was encouraged to break a branch off to learn more about Hell. Once Dante breaks off a branch he is surprised by the tree bellowing, “Why do you break me?/ And after blood had darkened all the bowl/ of the wound, it cried again, ‘Why do you tear me?/Is there no pity left in your soul?/” (Alighieri 103). Trees in regular life are trying to grow but in Hell they are not growing at all. They also have to be damaged to express their knowledge and talk to the other trees. The person inside of the tree is showing the pain and regret they have to go through since they damaged their own bodies because they could not overcome the problems in their life. Trees have more importance in Hell since they represent a person and their feelings and emotions. Trees are one of the most used archetypes because they represent such a big subject, life and knowledge. Without life and knowledge the world would not be what it is today.
