'Amor condusse noi ad una morte'

We're winding down virtue ethics in one of my ethics courses, so after all the heavy Aristotle and Aquinas we're looking at Dante, using the story of Francesca and Paolo in Inferno, Canto V, as a jumping-off point.



Francesca and Paolo

I asked them for their tale.
Sulking Paolo only wept,
but Francesca said with sorrow,
"It was the book's fault,
in which we read of Lance and Gwen,
for what the book said, we did,
and when they touched and kissed,
then Paolo, and this was his fault,
leaned in with touch and kiss,
and I could not but give return,
for Love overpowers all.
Because of what was Love's fault
we read no more that day."
So said Francesca sadly;
sulking Paolo only wept.