The forth of the deadly
sins is ENVY and is represented by Leviathan - the twisting serpent from
the primordial deep. Dante saw the spirit of evil as a huge serpent who
so entangled himself with his victim that they became utterly
intertwined and no longer distinguishable one from the other.
Envy is a "sin of
the Devil" for "Thou shalt not covet" is one of the ten
commandments. This sin is generally represented by a dog, and often depicted
as a heart being eaten away, as in
"eat your heart out". Over concern with the possessions of
others is seen escalating to hinder sympathetic human relationships.
When one is consumed by Envy, the opposing virtue of Charity is
completely erased.
