Dantes Voyage Through Hell - 1490 Words

The Inferno was written by Dante Alighieri around 1314 and depicts the poet’s imaginary journey through Hell. Dante spent his life traveling from court to court both lecturing and writing down his experiences. His Divine Comedy – the three-part epic poem consisting of Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso (Hell, Purgatory and Heaven)– is generally regarded as one of the greatest poetic feats ever accomplished. All three parts are incredible literary feats with symbolism so complex and beautiful that scholars are still unraveling all the details today. However, this essay will focus on the first part of Dante’s work, Inferno, which consists of 34 cantos. Dante’s Inferno is a masterpiece of allegorical imagery where Virgil represents human†¦show more content†¦Dante derived much of his writing inspirations from the Roman poet, Virgil. Virgil wrote many poetics, but is probably most well known for writing the Aeneid, whose main character Dante pro bably used as the basis for Virgil in his Inferno. Aeneas is a strong, brave man who also serves as a source of comfort and familiarity to those around him. Virgil thus serves as both guide and the representation of human reason throughout Dante’s journey in Hell. His influence cannot be understated as he is a mentor not only to Dante’s character on his journey, but also to Dante the human being. Virgil is the embodiment of reason and logic in the Inferno. He achieves this quality through his meticulous and often graphic descriptions of the geography and meaning of each and every circle of Hell, and of the tortures that the sinners must endure. Although his descriptions contribute greatly to the allegorical meaning of the epic, Virgil himself is limited in his journey throughout the Inferno due to his lack of religious affiliation by age as he was born before Christ came to save the sins of man. In Canto IV Virgil says, â€Å"I wish you to know before you travel on that these were sinless. And still their merits fail, for they lacked Baptism’s grace, which is the door of the true faith you were born to† (33-36). Virgil knows he isShow MoreRelatedDante And The Nature Of Sin967 Words   |  4 Pagesthe start of The Inferno. Though he sees a safe path out of the wood towards an alluring light, he is forced to take an alternate route through an even darker place . As the ending of the pilgrim Dante’s voyage is bright and hopeful, Alighieri the poet aims to encourage even the most sinful Christians to hope for a successful end. Thus, Dante the pilgrim goes to hell in The Inferno to better understand the nature of sin and its consequences in order to move closer to salvation; his journey an allegoryRead MoreDante s Divine Comedy : An Allegory Representative Of The Christian Soul974 Words   |  4 Pagespath to the light and out of the wood, he is forced to take an alternate route through an even darker place. The Divine Comedy is an allegory representative of the Christian soul. As the ending is bright and hopeful for Dante, Aghileri spreads that the ending for even the most sinful Christians can be as hopeful as dante’s, provided that they take the steps needed to achieve salvation. Thus, Dante the pilgrim goes to hell to better understand the nature of sin and its consequences in order to moveRead MoreOdysseus and Dante1517 W ords   |  7 PagesBeatrice. Both men are very much love the woman in their lives, go to their own hell and back and can think of nothing other than finding their way back to them. 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In order to atone for one’s transgressions, salvation –deliverance by redemption from the powerRead MoreThe Structure and Content of Dantes Inferno Essay1096 Words   |  5 PagesIn his first article of The Inferno, Dante Alighieri starts to present a vivid view of Hell by taking a journey through many levels of it with his master Virgil. This voyage constitutes the main plot of the poem. The opening Canto mainly shows that, on halfway through his life, the poet Dante finds himself lost in a dark forest by wandering into a tangled valley. Being totally scared and disoriented, Dante sees the sunshine co ming down from a hilltop, so he attempts to climb toward the light. HoweverRead MoreLewis And The Silent Planet1326 Words   |  6 PagesOut of the Silent Planet and Dante’s Inferno. The literary tradition left behind by Dante is both one able to influence the thoughts of others and to teach the value of Christianity through within a fictional environment. This is similar to Lewis’ Space Trilogy in more ways than one, some of which include Ransom journey in place of the pilgrim as he travels through strange, new, territory in order to reach his goal, and the use of Malacandra to represent the levels of Hell. Each book in the Space TrilogyRead MoreEssay about Inferno882 Words   |  4 Pagesstory of a mans voyages through the treacherous depths of hell. Dante is a man who has strayed from the path of a catholic way of life. Now he needs to travel through hell to reach the virtuous path that will take him to heaven. He is guided through hell by a man who is in limbo, the first circle of hell, named Virgil. Virgil takes him through hell and shows him people suffering for the sins that they have committed. Together they travel through the nine different stages of hell observing who is