More than once has Dante mentioned a woman named Beatrice through his beloved works, such as The Divine Comedy andVita Nuova. It’s abundantly clear that she made a rather huge impact on Dante, and could even be considered the love of his life. She served as his muse, and despite their odd relationship, she has continued to inspire other writers. But just who was Beatrice? And why is she important to the literary world?

Dante recalled having first met Beatrice at a party that his father took him to. When Dante saw her, he immediately became infatuated with her, and continued to love her though she was married to another man. It was a brief meeting, but it was enough for Dante to become enamored with her, dedicating scores of poems to her. It was nine years after they first met at the party before Dante finally reunited with her again. Even when Beatrice simply greeted him, Dante could easily go back to his room and fall asleep, dreaming only of Beatrice. Unfortunately, after that brief meeting, Beatrice died at age 24. 

Many scholars believe this love to be romanticized, playing out like some childish fantasy in a lovesick man’s vulnerable mind, but nevertheless, to Dante it was real. Dante’s attempted courting of Beatrice can be described as courtly love. In the Middle Ages, courtly love was often used to describe the relationships between knights and their ladies, and though it often symbolized a desire, even lust for the object, courtly love would more often than not remain unrequited. Because of this, many troubadours used this courtly love in order to enchant those who were of a lower class, allowing them to dream of a day when they would fall in love with someone higher than they. It was a way to express a sort of love not found in marriage at the time, whether it be through poems, songs, or even secret affairs. In Dante’s case, however, he saw Beatrice as a savior, someone he wouldn’t have to worry about betraying him. She wasn’t a human, but an angel, the absolute “Queen of virtue.” 

Because of Dante, Beatrice has given inspiration to many writers and artists. For instance, she appears in many paintings during the nineteenth century. In the 1850s, an artist named Dante Gabriel Rossetti used an image of Beatrice in order to draw inspiration in many paintings. In A Series of Unfortunate Events by Daniel Handler, the mysterious Snicket had fallen in love with someone named Beatrice, a similar parallel to that of Dante and Beatrice. Even in science, Beatrice is revered with an asteroid being named after her. 

To this day, Beatrice remains a mysterious force that has influenced us. She is praised as an object of desire, affection, and lust, though she remains beyond the reach of all. But even so, behind this elegant facade is simply a woman who didn’t know she'd be immortalized by a man who longed for her attention. And ironically enough, she, along with many other love interests, never will.