Inferno+Character+Placement

__ Inferno Character Placement: Antigone __
 * Claim: ** Antigone, who is the main character of Sophocles’ Play, Antigone, belongs in the woods of the suicides in round two of circle seven.
 * Data: ** Antigone is seen lamenting over her impending doom but then she stops and simply says, “Come: let us wait no longer” (737). It seems that as this point Antigone has decided that she cannot escape death and that she would rather control her death than allow others to. Furthermore, Creon finds her dead body in her tomb only a short time after she is locked away in the tomb, and she commits suicide by using her veil to hang herself.
 * Warrant: ** Antigone kills herself because she has no hope left in the world. She has lived with so much pain in all of her life, but she still isn’t able to admit that she is making her life even more difficult. She dies believing everyone else it at fault, and she kills herself without a single thought to Ismene or Haimon.
 * Backing: ** The definition of suicide is the act of taking one’s own life voluntarily and intentionally.
 * Counterclaim: ** Some people might argue that Antigone belongs in circle five because of her rage and anger towards many throughout the play including her sister. For example, she shows her brash temper when says, Go away, Ismene: I shall be hating you soon, and the dead will too” (77-78).
 * Rebuttal: ** Although she may have hurt Ismene’s feelings, her anger towards her sister doesn’t affect the storyline as much as her death. After she kills herself, Haimon ends his life as well. His mother, Eurydice, who had previously lost her other son, also commits suicide. It’s Antigone’s death that begins the chain of suicides throughout the play and ultimately leads Creon to discover his mistakes, although it is too late. Her death makes the play a tragedy by creating a life worse for the characters than where it began and by creating the entire demise of Antigone’s family.

__Inferno Character Placement: The Joker __

**Claim:** The Joker, who is a villain in DC comics, TV shows, and movies, belongs in the ninth circle of the Inferno because of his treachery. He could fit into almost any of the circles because of his actions that range from killing innocents to theft, but in Dante’s eyes, the worst crime he commits is betraying those who trust or even love him.

**Data:** The Joker will often turn against those that he makes alliances with. The Joker becomes the leader of a group called the Red Hood Gang and does not falter to kill any of those whom he has ties with. In Figure A, he is shown killing one of the members because they disagreed with him. In Batman #663, after undergoing a complete transformation, he tells his partner (Harley Quinn) to distribute venom he’s created to kill his former allies. His reasoning is because he’s beginning a new spiritual rebirth. He has no issue from killing his henchmen as seen in Figure B, and Batman realizes his betrayal when he finds a joker playing card at the scene of the murder.

**Warrant:** The Joker has no issue with betraying anyone to get what he wants. Often he doesn’t even have any type of motivation, he just enjoys harming others because he thinks it’s fun. The joker playing card represents that he has no regret in committing tyranny towards those who are or were loyal to him, and that he simply sees it as a game by leaving his card as a clue. Furthermore, he will exterminate anyone, regardless if they have an agreement, if he dislikes an action they commit, such as one of the members of the gang in Figure A.

**Backing:** The definition of treachery is the violation of allegiance or of faith and confidence.

**Counterclaim:** Many people might disagree and believe that the Joker belongs in the first round of circle seven because his numerous accounts of murder. For example, the Joker brutally murdered Jason Todd (The second Robin) after beating him with a crowbar and then leaving him in a building that exploded. He also is known for being a homicidal maniac that has killed many innocent civilians.

**Rebuttal:** However, The Joker would still be placed in circle nine because of Dante’s worse opinion of treachery. In Dante’s eyes, it is worse for someone to attempt to kill/or kill someone who trusts him then it is for him to kill someone who he didn’t have any ties to. For example, The Joker is notoriously known for his odd relationship with Harley Quinn. Although Harley Quinn adores and loves him, he often will place her in danger or try to kill her if he becomes angry. When the Joker begins to question his feelings for her, he often will attempt to kill her. She has been injured and hurt by the Joker many times as evidence in Figure C.



