Dante Inferno Essay

Dante Inferno
Dante Alighieri was an Italian poet and a moral philosopher born in Florence in 1265. He is most
known for the epic poem "The Divine Comedy", which he wrote after he was exiled for twenty
years and so he began to travel and write. This epic poem was written for the purpose of warning
Christians of the society he was in to repent and fear the wrath of hell or experience the rewards of
paradise. It was most likely Dante's own experiences of love, politics and exile that inspired him to
write so deeply. "The Divine Comedy" is a work of originality. Dante is an important figure for
Italian literature and Western literature in general. The reason for that is his imagery brings the
reader into his world and his senses. Dante provides an in depth analysis of Hell and all its
dimensions, more than we would ever imagine. His imagery does not only enforce the reader to
imagine the words but also to take the journey with him....show more content...
Dante's journey goes from Hell, to purgatory and finally to paradise, leaving the readers with a
happy ending. Dante titled the epic poem "The Divine Comedy" but there is not a single joke in
the book, quite the opposite. The comedy of his journey is that it ends on a good note instead of
a bad. The most interesting aspect about Dante is, while he is on the journey though the nine
circles of hell, he does not realize that he can still achieve salvation and be forgiven and he has the
opportunity to enter paradise. Dante's imagery pulls the reader into all nine circles of hell. Also,
Dante felt pity for most of the sinners but not all of them. His sympathy declines as the story goes
on. He feels the least pity towards Simonists, those religious leaders that make a profit out of sacred
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Dante's Inferno
The Inferno by Dante Alighieri
The Inferno by Dante Alighieri was; shall I say long and boring, but Dante's insight to the
underworld (Hell) is amazing and interesting. As I read through the on–line book, I became wrapped
up in what Dante was attempting to portray in his writing. There are 34 Cantos or verses within "The
Inferno" and each verse leads us through Dante's life and his version of Hell. I perceive that Dante's
poem is one big circle which starts down through the depths of hell, up into purgatory, and finally to
the pearly gates of heaven. By its connection between each canto, the divine comedy teaches us to
work our way through its circles. The book is so descriptive, that you feel as though you are sharing
each adventure,...show more content...
This circle housed the fraudulent ones; the seducers, flatterers and prostitutes. Geryon, a flying
monster with different natures, just like the fraudulent, allowed Dante and Virgil to hitch a ride on
his back. This circle was divided into ten Bolgias (trenches) or stony ditches with bridges between
them. In trench1, Dante sees pimps and seducers much like Pope Boniface VIII who granted
indulgence to all pilgrims. Trench 2 he finds flatterers which disgusted him greatly. After crossing
the bridge to trench 3, he and Virgil see those who are guilty of simony, which was named after a
magician Simon Magnus. Also Dante's views claim that three popes were guilty of this sin. They
were Nicholas III, Boniface VIII and Clement V. Again, crossing another bridge between the
ditches to trench 4, they find sorcerers and false prophets, Amphiaraus, Tiresias, Manto, and
Eurypylus. Moving along to Bolgia 5, Dante found grifters like Malacoda their escort and the
leader of the grifters. These grifters are sunk into a boiling pitch for their punishment. Crossing
from bridge to bridge; Dante and Virgil come to Bolgia 6 where they see the hypocrites, the jovial
friars and Caiaphas. In the remaining 4 ditches, Dante finds the thieves (Bolgia 7), Vanni Fucci,
who during his life was known for his anger and brutality. Borgia 8 claimed the evil counselors and
advisers such as

Dante's Inferno Irony Analysis
Dante Alighieri, as you know, was a religious Italian poet during the late middle ages who wrote on
of the most famous poems of all time: Dante's The Inferno. In The Inferno, like many of Dante's
other poems, he uses an array of literary devices that give his poems more depth and make a specific
point to the reader. One of the many literary devices that Dante utilizes throughout the Inferno is
irony. Dante uses irony in two ways in the Inferno; first to illustrate to readers that what you do in
life comes full circle and haunts you in hell. The second way Dante uses irony in this poem is in
specific characters Dante encounters in hell to add some comedy to the poem. Both forms of irony,
however, serve the purpose of touching the reader and...show more content...
This usage of irony is used in certain characters in hell and it often has to do with why they are in
hell. Furthermore, the irony is portrayed in the stories that the sinners tell Dante about how they
wound up in hell. One example from the poem that shows this irony come from canto V where
Dante and Virgil talk to Francesca and Paolo who tell them their story about how they wound up
in hell. Dante recounts their story, "On a day for dalliance we read the rhyme of Lancelot, how
love had mastered him. We were alone with innocence and dim time. Pause after pause that high
old story drew our eyes together while we blushed and paled; but it was one soft passage overthrew
our caution and our hearts. For when we read how her fond smile was kissed by such a lover, he
who is one with me alive and dead breathed on my lips the tremor of his kiss. That book, and he
who wrote it, was a pander. That day we read no further."(Dante 39–40). In this passage, Dante
recounts the story of how Francesca and Paolo (Francesca's brother–in–law) read a book and fall in
love. Shortly thereafter, both of them are killed by the husband and they end up in hell. In Christine
Perkell's, Irony in the Underworlds of Dante and Virgil: Readings of Francesca and Palinurus
Author(s): Christine Perkell, Perkell exclaims, " To summarize: As Francesca tells her story, she
inadvertently – ironically – reveals thГЁ justice of God's judgment in placing her in Inferno. She
fails to confess; she fails to take responsibility as a moral Christian agent; she fails to see herself
or her sin as God sees her and it." Perkell sees the irony in Francesca's story just as Dante intended
it to be. What is ironic about Francesca's story is that while she tries to make Dante feel pity for
her, she reveals to Dante the truth as to why she is in hell and the

Essay On Dante And Inferno
In a horrific burning plain, is where you will spend eternity for being with your same sex lover!
Dante wanted to bring an end to immoral behaviors in Florence. Dante was born to a family that
liked getting involved in the multifaceted Florentine political arena. He was born in the year 1295.
The political setting that his parents were used to became a key theme in Inferno. According to
historical findings, his mother passed away when Dante was 12 years of age. When he became
of age, he was arranged for a lady who he would later marry, but was in love with another lady.
After the death of his loved one, Dante began to venture into the field of philosophy and issues
dealing with the political environment of Florence. Because of the writings that he wrote to the
Florentine government, the Florentine leaders exiled him after falling out of favor. Being exiled
from Florence was a great success for him because it was the period in which he became involved
with his artistic work. He soon then wrote he Inferno, which was a section of the Divine Comedy. He
later completed all the sections of the Divine Comedy, which is a comedy symbolizing the human
life which he presented as a visionary journey through the Christian afterlife. He wrote the comedy
to warn the corrupt society in order to lead a life of being just and righteous. In his comedy, he talks
about the sin of homosexuality. Homosexuality or sodomy is a sinful practice which leads to
destruction of souls and is found in

Dante?s Inferno Essay examples
Literature is an art. It demands the imagination of the reader, and in return the literature will
communicate the message at whatever level is desired. It is not uncommon for many literary works
to operate on more than various level; there are facts and truths, which are immediately apparent, and
in contrast, the symbolism or allegories that may be present upon deeper investigation and
exploration. In works regarding religion or spiritual matters, oftentimes it is very common to find
symbolism, and this is very true of Dante's 'Divine Comedy,' a work so full of symbolism that there is
only time enough to concentrate on the first two cantos of the first book Inferno.
When putting this work into context so...show more content...
It is interesting and symbolic that the poem starts in a representation of spring, and spring is often
seen as the beginning of things, a time when life comes back to the earth and is seen in the old
traditions as "a season of creation" (Dante). It is also well to remember that at this time Dante
would have believes the sun to be a planet that orbited the earth and not visa versa as we known
today (Dante).
So we are starting at the beginning, and the first event that occurs is on his walk he meets three
animals " concerning that wild beast with the dappled skin...... of a lion ...... And a
she–wolf" (Dante). These are symbolic, although it is not until later (canto XI) that we find
out why, and that there forms represent forms that we may associate with hell, which is also the
inferno. In the later canto we find that this is a symbolism of the
"triple division of sins" these are the beasts of incontinence, violence and

Dantes Inferno Essay
Dante's use of allegory in the Inferno greatly varies from Plato's "Allegory of the Cave"
in purpose, symbolism, characters and mentors, and in attitude toward the world. An analysis of each
of these elements in both allegories will provide an interesting comparison. Dante uses allegory to
relate the sinner's punishment to his sin, while Plato uses allegory to discuss ignorance and
knowledge. Dante's Inferno describes the descent through Hell from the upper level of the
opportunists to the most evil, the treacherous, on the lowest level. His allegorical poem describes a
hierarchy of evil.
Conversely, Plato's "Allegory of the Cave" describes the ascent from ignorance to
knowledge, as one prisoner is freed to make his...show more content...
175) This quote describes the punishment for fortune tellers. In life the fortune tellers foresaw the
future.
In death they are doomed to exist with their heads on backwards and their eyes overflowing with
tears so that not only could they not see what was happening in front of them, but they could not see
at all due to these copious amounts of tears. Similarly, each sin had its own logical punishment, and
each group of sinners received the same punishment, with only a few exceptions. Such an exception
can be found in Canto XXlll when Caiaphas lies crucified on the floor while the other hypocrites
walk around him in circles. He is set apart because he counseled a Roman to crucify Jesus. While the
sinners represent man's imperfections, Virgil symbolizes human reason.
Throughout the poem, Virgil uses logic and reason to convince the monsters to allow him to gain
passage to the various circles of Hell. The use of characters and mentors is distinct in each piece.
"The Allegory of the Cave" presents few characters, and except for the one prisoner who
ascends from the cave, none are distinguished from the others. The one freed prisoner attempts to
become a mentor to the others but fails.
As he tries to enlighten the remaining prisoners he is received with anger and threats. Nothing is
learned about the characters as individuals. They remain nameless, faceless images. In contrast, there
are numerous characters in the Inferno. The sinners are arranged in

Essay on Dantes Inferno
Dantes Inferno In The Inferno, by Dante many of the sinners' punishments are questionable to the
sins they've committed. Like Dante, one feels great pity for many of the sinners that exist in all of
the levels of Hell. Many of their retributions seem much too severe for some of the sins that just
don't seem that dire.
Francesca and Paolo di Rimini have no control over the love that develops between the two of
them, but are forced to spend eternity in the Second Circle of Hell. The sinners in this area of Hell,
the lustful, experience an eternity of torrential rain fall and extremely powerful winds, which toss
the souls of these sinners throughout the air. After reading of Lancelot and Guinevere both
Francesca and Paolo...show more content...
After hearing Francesca's story Dante faints, but who wouldn't pity her; she did what she did in the
name of love.
Ulysses, a man who fought for his people, bound in the Eighth Pouch of the Eighth Circle of Hell
for going against the Christian morals of his time. Among the others guilty of Spiritual Theft he
exists within a flame, with Diomedes; they stole from God, so they were stolen from life. Their first
mistake was a joint effort; their actions in the Trojan War, with the Wooden Horse, which resulted
in the fall of Troy and Aeneas' founding of the country of Rome. Also, the statue of Pallas from
Palladium was believed to have been a sacred statue that Troy's existence depending on; theft of this
would result in the downfall of Troy, and what do you know Ulysses stole it. Although Ulysses hurt
others, he also helped others; if he hadn't done any of theses things, Troy wouldn't have fallen, and
Rome wouldn't have been found. Having nothing but a guilty conscience can make a person insane;
their intentions were nothing but good for their people, so one understands why they did the things
they did.
Lastly, Pier della Bigna commits suicide after realizing that he can no longer deal with the terrible
life envious people around him have created for him. Trapped in the Second Ring, Seventh Circle
of Hell, he is forced to spend eternity as a tree. The Harpies, a kind of bird, feed on these trees,
damaging the leaves and the limbs, causing him

Dante's Inferno
In The Divine Comedy Volume1: Dante's Inferno, opens with a terrified Dante alone, and lost in a
dark wood, he tries to climb a hill towards sunlight but a three–headed animal runs interference
causing Dante much despair (67–71). As Dante sinks low into a depressive state of fear, and
hopelessness so Beatrice sends Virgil to help him. Virgil's appearance in the story validates how the
author's characters serve symbolic and dynamic purposes within his poem. For example, Virgil was
esteemed as a literary legend–a great poet of his time (44;100). Before Dante can begin climbing that
mountain called Purgatory he must go through Hell–literally. Dante's Inferno comprises 34 Cantos,
and nine levels of Hell, although, the first level is the calmest

Essay On Dante's Inferno
Dante's "Inferno" is a pandemonic story told through the eyes of Dante as he travels through the
nine circles of hell with the spirit, Virgil. Dante, being a mortal, was sent to visit hell by God for he
had "lost his way" through life; and Virgil, the spirit, was to be his guide. As Dante travels through
the first section of hell and ends at the city of Dis, it becomes known that the journey is only
beginning for Dante and his moral compass is in desperate need of this experience to place him
back on the way of life. Dante faces many challenges through hell as he experiences immense fear,
pity, sorrow, and guilt. These emotions are adamantly shown through his reactions to his
environment and the way he handles the complications of each circle

Dante's Inferno Essay
At the start of the poem we find Dante in the dark forest(Inf. 1.2). Not much description is given
maybe to show Dante's disorientation. Whether the disorientation is spiritual, physical, moral or
political; that is unclear at the start of the poem. The poem us written this way so reader can identify
with Dante. It is also written in such a way that sometimes it is difficult to understand some parts,
you sometimes have to read it backwards to get a better understanding.
The way Dante characterizes the dark woods has a lot of ideas taken from various traditions. This
ranges from the medieval Platonic image of chaos, this is shown as a type of primordial wood.
There is the enterance to the classic underworld (Hades), which is in the...show more content...
Virgil also wrote ten pastoral poems; Eclogues, the fourth of which talks about the birth of a
wonderful child and that was thought to be a prophet of the birth of Jesus.
Circle 7–9
In Canto 11 of the Inferno Virgil explains to Dante that violent sins, sins of violence, takes three
forms other people, ones self, and God (28–33). The people who commit crimes against other are
punishes in the first ring of the seventh circle, a river of blood (Inferno 12) Those people who
commit suicide, those who commit crimes unto themselves are punished in a horrid forest (Inferno
13). The ring for the people who commit crimes against God, the third ring is a barren places all of
sand ignited by flakes of fire. To break this circle down more, there are those who offend God
directly(blasphemers), those who violate nature(sodomites) and those who are users(Inferno 14–17).
The way Dante shows sodomy, it is understood that it is sexual relation between males, but that
doesn't make it homosexual. At that time in the Middle Ages it was seen as extremely wrong both
legally and theologically. The crime could end with loss of property and/or even capital punishment.
Usury was similarly condemned, as it goes with and equated with heresy in 1311, at the Council of
Vienne. Fallen man must live "by the sweat of his brow" and Jesus said 'lend, expecting nothing in
return"( Gen

Dante Inferno Essay
Dante Alighieri was a major Italian poet born in Florence, Italy in 1265, around the Middle Ages.
Although he wrote other works, none were as notable as the Divine Comedy, the most illustrious
work of all medieval European literature. This epic dives into Dante's journey through hell,
purgatory, and paradise. The various religious and political figures, mythological references, as
well as biblical references, all play a role in the poet's comprehensive analysis of the turmoil
Florence was facing in the Middle Ages. In Dante's Inferno, the poet spawns his own form of
punishment of the heinous conduct that was spurning in his time period. Dante's inspiration for this
epic stemmed from being exiled from Florence. As he was exiled, he commented on the corruptness
in Italy, which produced Dante's allegory Inferno. Using a biographical lens, we can see the the
influence of his life in this work. In Dante's Inferno, Dante's background plays a prominent role in
how he illustrates politics in Hell. He incorporates the history of the Church during the 1300s.The
poet illustrates the venal behaviors of both religious figures, and the Catholic Church in its entirety.
Dante's resentment towards the church is primarily due to the corruption that the church displayed
during his time period, "his heart overflows with the wrath he feels against those who corrupt the
things of God"(Dante 152). The ordeals during that time period influenced him to write the Inferno
as a forewarning towards

Dante Inferno Essay

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