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The Inferno, and indeed the entirety of the Divine Comedy, comprises one big allegory—the Inferno is an allegory for mankind’s descent into sin, and the Divine Comedy as a whole is an allegory for one’s journey to finding God. As Dante travels deeper and deeper into Hell, he observes characters both real and mythological, and witnesses the symbolic punishments for a wide variety of ...
May 3, 2024 · Dante's 9 Circles of Hell. The nine circles of hell, as depicted in Dante's Inferno, represent a gradual descent into increasing levels of sin and punishment—from the first circle, Limbo, to the ninth circle, which is reserved for the worst sinners. Each level represents various types of moral wrongdoing and the corresponding punishment.
- Matt Staggs
- Penguin Random House
- Paperback
- Limbo. The first circle is home to the unbaptized and virtuous pagans. It’s not Heaven, but as far as Hell goes, it isn’t too bad: It’s the retirement community of the afterlife.
- Lust. The wind-buffeted second circle of Hell is the final destination of the lustful and adulterous — basically anyone controlled by their hormones.
- Gluttony. Today’s forecast calls for plenty of icy rain and slush — a “wintery mix” for all eternity. You know those people whose Instagram feeds are full of carefully lit photos of artfully arranged entrees?
- Greed. This section of Hell is reserved for the money-grubbers and overly materialistic among us. According to Dante, those condemned to the fourth circle spend eternity fighting over money and valuables, so be prepared to meet all of your distant cousins who show up out of nowhere with empty U-Haul trucks moments the moment after a well-to-do great aunt or uncle dies.
Overview. Inferno is an Italian epic poem by Dante Alighieri that was probably written around 1314 and first published in 1321. Written in the Tuscan dialect, with the poem contributing to the development of the Italian language as a literary medium, Inferno depicts Dante’s allegorical journey through the nine circles of Hell, guided by the ...
- First Circle
- Second Circle
- Third Circle
- Fourth Circle
- Fifth Circle
- Sixth Circle
- Seventh Circle
- Eighth Circle
- Ninth Circle
Dante’s First Circle of Hell is resided by virtuous non-Christians and unbaptized pagans who are punished with eternity in an inferior form of Heaven. They live in a castle with seven gates which symbolize the seven virtues. Here, Dante sees many prominent people from classical antiquity such as Homer, Socrates, Aristotle, Cicero, Hippocrates, and ...
In the Second Circle of Hell, Dante and his companion Virgil find people who were overcome by lust. They are punished by being blown violently back and forth by strong winds, preventing them from finding peace and rest. Strong winds symbolize the restlessness of a person who is led by the desire for fleshly pleasures. Again, Dante sees many notable...
When reaching the Third Circle of Hell, Dante and Virgil find souls of gluttons who are overlooked by a worm-monster Cerberus. Sinners in this circle of Hell are punished by being forced to lie in a vile slush that is produced by never-ending icy rain. The vile slush symbolizes personal degradation of one who overindulges in food, drink, and otherw...
In the Fourth Circle of Hell, Dante and Virgil see the souls of people who are punished for greed. They are divided into two groups – those who hoarded possessions and those who lavishly spent it – jousting. They use great weights as a weapon, pushing it with their chests which symbolizes their selfish drive for fortune during their lifetime. The t...
The Fifth Circle of Hell is where the wrathful and sullen are punished for their sins. Transported on a boat by Phlegyas, Dante and Virgil see the furious fighting each other on the surface of the river Styx and the sullen gurgling beneath the surface of the water. Again, the punishment reflects the type of sin committed during their lifetime. Whil...
When reaching the Sixth Circle of Hell, Dante and Virgil see heretics who are condemned to eternity in flaming tombs. Here, Dante talks with a couple of Florentines – Farinata degli Uberti and Cavalcante de’ Cavalcanti – but he also sees other notable historical figures including the ancient Greek philosopher Epicurus, Holy Roman Emperor Frederick ...
The Seventh Circle of Hell is divided into three rings. The Outer Ring houses murderers and others who were violent to other people and property. Here, Dante sees Alexander the Great (disputed), Dionysius I of Syracuse, Guy de Montfort, and many other notable historical and mythological figures such as the Centaurus, sank into a river of boiling bl...
The Eighth Circle of Hell is resided by the fraudulent. Dante and Virgil reach it on the back of Geryon, a flying monster with different natures, just like the fraudulent. This circle of Hell is divided into 10 Bolgias or stony ditches with bridges between them. In Bolgia 1, Dante sees panderers and seducer. In Bolgia 2 he finds flatterers. After c...
The last Ninth Circle of Hell is divided into 4 Rounds according to the seriousness of the sin. Though all residents are frozen in an icy lake. Those who committed more severe sin are deeper within the ice. Each of the 4 Rounds is named after an individual who personifies the sin. Thus Round 1 is named Caina after Cain who killed his brother Abel, ...
5th pouch- Corrupt politicians immersed in the pool of boiling pitch-cantos 21-23. Icons: Malebranche (“Evil Claws”), Malacoda (“Evil Tail”), Ciampolo. Punishment/Contrapasso: corrupt politicians immersed in the pool of boiling pitch. Allusions, Devices, Metaphors, Similes: Harrowing of Hell.
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This book uses a question-and-answer format. It poses, then answers, relevant questions about Dante, background information, and The Divine Comedy. This book goes through the Inferno canto by canto. I recommend that you read the relevant section of the Inferno, then read my comments, then go back and re-read the relevant section of the Inferno ...
