Fdocuments - in - Dantes Inferno o The Inferno Dante Takes A Journey Through Hell Which Consists

Dante’s Inferno
A
Brief
Introduction
Dante Alighieri
• 1265-1321
• Born in Florence, Italy to an old and
moderately distinguished family
• Wrote poetry from an early age
• Wrote The Divine Comedy
The Divine Comedy
• Written between 1308 and 1321

• An imaginary journey that takes Dante
through Hell, Purgatory, and Paradise
• An allegory—the journey is symbolic of the
spiritual quest for salvation
• Three parts: The Inferno, Pergatorio, and
Paradisio
• Three was a holy number for Dante; Holy
Trinity
Why a Comedy??
• In the middle ages COMEDY meant some human
experience that began in tragedy and ended in
happiness.
• Written in Terza Rima

Structure
• Each section has 33 cantos (small division of poetry;
canto means “song.”)
• The Inferno includes an introductory canto, which
makes 100 cantos total (1oo representing the idea of
perfection or spiritual enlightenment achieved after the
journey).
• Three major divisions of sin:
• Incontinence (lack of self-control), Violence,
The Inferno
Dante takes a journey through hell which

consists of nine circles.
Dante believes that before one can achieve

salvation, they must take a hard look at both
evil in the world and in himself.
Theme: Just Retribution
“One large and important group of

punishments in the tours of hell consists on
those based on the principle of measure-for-
measure. The principal appears in many
ancient legal systems. The biblical
formulation, “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a
tooth” is part of a wider ancient Near
Eastern pattern” (Himmelfarb 75-76)
Theme: Just Retribution
Example: Fortune Tellers pretend to know the

future. In hell, their heads are fastened on
backwards so they must always look behind
themselves.
Theme: Repent!
• Even though this was written long

ago, we can still use this story and
learn to repent our sins.
• Also, we need to stop sinning!!
Geography: Nine Circles of Inferno
Virgil
•In the Middle Ages Virgil was regarded as a sage and
necromancer.
•He was the greatest of the Roman poets.
•Virgil was chosen as Dante’s guide through Hell, because

Dante saw him as his master and inspiration for his poetic
style.
1. Limbo
Innocent souls
Blameless, but unbaptized
The atmosphere is peaceful, yet sad
2. Lustful
Here are those who could not resist

temptation; these sinners betrayed reason in
favor of their appetite for pleasure.
Here, sinners are tossed and whirled around

by winds as in life they were helpless in the
tempests of their passion.
3. Gluttonous
In this circle are the gluttonous—those

who consumed in excess during their
time on Earth.
Here, those who feasted away in their lives now

lie like pigs in the stinking mud. Also, they are
kept company by Cerberus—a three headed dog
who growls and tears at them with his teeth and
claws.
4. The Avaricious & Prodigal
Here are those who either wasted and lived

greedily and insatiably, or who stockpiled
their fortunes, hoarding everything and
sharing nothing.
The punishment for these sinners is to roll

weights back and forth against one another.
5. Wrathful & Sullen
The wrathful are here forever lashing out at

each other in anger. They are furious and
naked and are biting one another.
The sullen, or gloomy, lie gurgling in black

mud, just as their silent anger lay hidden in
their lives.
6. Heretics
Heretics are those who chose their own

opinions instead of following the teachings
of the Church; they deny God and the
afterlife.
These sinners spend eternity with their bodies

in burning graves.
7. Violent
In this circle are all sinners who committed violence against
others, self, and God.
In this circle the stench is unbearable.

Others—these sinners are submerged in a river of blood and
are shot by centaurs with arrows if they try to escape.
God—sinners here are showered by flakes of fire that rain
down on their naked bodies.
8. Fraudulent
Ten pockets based on kinds of malicious fraud--

panderers, seducers, flatterers, simoniacs,
fortunetellers, grafters, hypocrites, thieves, evil
counselors, sowers of discord, and falsifiers.
In this circle, punishments include: being wedged

into stone holes, some wallow in human
excrement, some are afflicted with leprosy, and
some are whipped by horned demons.
9. Traitors
This is the deepest level of hell where

Satan himself resides. His wings flap
eternally, producing a chilling cold. Here
Satan has three faces and they each gush
bloody foam and their eyes are forever
weeping as they chew on the three traitors:
Judas, Brutus, and Cassius. Sinners here are
frozen deep in ice.

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Dante’s Inferno

• Written between 1308 and 1321

• Written in Terza Rima

Dante takes a journey through hell which

Dante believes that before one can achieve

“One large and important group of

Example: Fortune Tellers pretend to know the

• Even though this was written long

•He was the greatest of the Roman poets.

•Virgil was chosen as Dante’s guide through Hell, because

Here are those who could not resist

Here, sinners are tossed and whirled around

In this circle are the gluttonous—those

Here, those who feasted away in their lives now

Here are those who either wasted and lived

The punishment for these sinners is to roll

The wrathful are here forever lashing out at

The sullen, or gloomy, lie gurgling in black

Heretics are those who chose their own

These sinners spend eternity with their bodies

In this circle the stench is unbearable.

Ten pockets based on kinds of malicious fraud--

In this circle, punishments include: being wedged

This is the deepest level of hell where

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