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I Believe that Patience is a Virtue  //Dante vs Yudhisthira (Mahabharata)//

Patience is a part of our everyday lives. Often we do not notice it, but it is a virtue that you have nonetheless experienced. Whether it is patience within yourself or in some one else, it is a part of your life. Patience often comes in various forms. Patience can be, waiting for a late bus, holding your tongue and keeping your comments to yourself in the presence of someone disagreeable, or even continuing to work on a difficult math problem that just doesn't make any sense. I believe that patience is a virtue and should be viewed as a desirable component of human characteristics. According to the //Oxford English Dictionary//, the word patience means, " The calm, uncomplaining endurance of pain, affliction, inconvenience, etc.; the capacity for such endurance. Forbearance or long-suffering under provocation; //esp.// tolerance of the faults or limitations of other people. Calm, self-possessed waiting." Patience should be viewed as a virtue for it takes dedication, restraint, and an inward will to allow yourself to be patient especially in stressful situations. It's counterpart, impatience, can be described as, "Want of endurance; failure to bear suffering, discomfort, annoyance, etc. with equanimity; irritability, irascibility. Intolerance of delay; restlessness of desire or expectation; restless longing or eagerness." There are some who view impatience as a virtue for its rare association with a demand for change-an example being politics and religion. Through a dialogue between Dante and Yudhisthira, you can decide for yourself whether patience is the virtue or if it's oppo site, impatience, is the more virtuous quality. A hero from literature that greatly emphasizes patience is Yudhisthira, eldest of the five Pandava brothers from the Indian epic story, the Mahabharata. In a small section of the vast Mahabharata tale, the Pandava's mortal enemy Duryodhana creates a situation in which the brothers are powerless to control. The brothers just lost a bet with Duryodhana and are sentenced to exile for thirteen years. Their wife, Draupadi, is humiliated in front of the court and Beehma and Arjuna, two of the brothers, want to act instantly. All are impatient except Yudhisthira. They do not want to be in exile for 13 years and wish to seek revenge on Duryodhana for Draupadi's humiliation and the Pandavas' losses. However, Yudhisthira recognizes that patience is essential. Yudhisthira realizes that in order to seek revenge on Duryodhana, he and his brothers must be patient. They must accept their exile, wait out the 13 years, and in that time, train for war in order to fulfill their revenge on Duryodhana. Through Yudhisthira's patience, he was able to view situations with reason and rationality. If he had not convinced his brothers to be patient and wait out their exile, they might not have survived Duryodhana's wrath. Dante, often known for his Divine Comedy, Inferno, is an accurate representation of impatience. Dante's impatience with politics and religious groups within Italy led to his eventual exile, which lasted for the rest of his life. Within Florence, Italy, there was a political group known as the Guelphs. This political party began to divide and eventually separated into the Whites and Blacks. Dante, whom was part of the White Guelphs was impatient with religious aspects of the Black party. He wanted the papal role in Florentine political affairs to be reduced. Dante and the Whites wanted more freedom from Rome while the Blacks wanted the Pope to have more influence. Dante's impatience for change led to his exile. Even while exiled he had a chance of redemption but destroyed those possibilities by being too impatient. He couldn’t just wait patiently to be excused and invited back to Italy, he was impatient and sent violent letters to Henry VII. In Florence, [|Baldo d'Aguglione] pardoned most of the White Guelphs in exile and allowed them to return; however, Dante had gone too far in his violent letters to Henry VII, and the sentence on him was not recalled. Dante's impatience led to his downfall.

Dialogue- Dante and Yudhisthira Dante was tired. He had just reached his final destination in Verona, Italy. Dante searched the wet, muddy streets for an Inn he could spend the night and drink away his sorrows. He finally found a cheap looking Inn and immediately ordered the cheapest wine they had to offer. As he took in his surroundings, he noticed a particular looking man hidden in the corner. This man sparked Dante's interest. "Hey you foreigner, from where do you hail?" "I come from a land far away." The man replied "Which land? Tell me at once." Dante demanded of the strange man with darkened skin. "More patience my friend, you are lacking this virtue. To answer your question, I am from India, a land much different than this." "Pshhh patience, patience is not a virtue. Patience just leaves you with thoughts and feelings unexpressed. I value my impatience. Impatience pushes for change and immediate action. We are indeed from different lands." Dante replied. "Dante, was not impatience the reason for your exile to this city? Where you not harsh and severe on your opposing party. You had to express your ideas immediately, even though the time wasn’t right. Because of this you are forever exiled from Florence." "But at least I was able to express my ideas and feelings. The opposing party does not deserve my patience. I must act immediately and end their irrational thinking," retorted Dante. "Yes indeed, your feelings were expressed," replied the stranger, "but did that get you anywhere Dante? Has there been a change in the dominating political views? Have you created a difference?" "No," Dante replied ashamedly. "Now you are banished here forever. If you had been more patient, plotted, and planned your actions, you might have had a chance at having a greater influence and impact. You may not have been exiled in the first place? " responded the stranger. "Do you still think that impatience is the greater virtue?" questioned the unknown man. "I see your point," replied Dante. "Maybe I shouldn’t have acted so rashly. I should have been more patient and rationally plan out a strategy to overpower the Blacks." "I leave you with your thoughts then friend." The stranger said. "But wait, who are you?" Dante quickly asked as the stranger started to walk away. "Yudhisthira." The stranger replied. "Wait how did you know who I was? Dante questioned. "How did you know I was exiled?" With that Dante woke up. He had fallen asleep atop one of the Inn's tables. What a strange dream. With that Dante headed up to one of the rooms. He went up very slowly for he had a lot on his mind.