ABANDONALL HOPEYE WHOENTERHERE

DANTETHE INFERNO

DANTE ALIGHIERIDANTE ALIGHIERI

Born in Florence, Born in Florence, May, 1265.May, 1265.

His family was old His family was old and of noble origin,and of noble origin,

But no longer But no longer wealthy. He probably wealthy. He probably spent a year or a spent a year or a part of a year at the part of a year at the University of Bologna University of Bologna as part of his as part of his education.education.

The The triviumtrivium and and the the quadriviumquadrivium were typical of were typical of Medieval Medieval curriculum.curriculum.

As customary, As customary, Dante had an Dante had an arranged arranged marriage in his marriage in his youth to Gemma youth to Gemma Donati, Donati, daughter of daughter of Manetto Donati.Manetto Donati.

BEATRICEBEATRICE

Dante’s great Dante’s great love, and the love, and the greatest single greatest single influence on his influence on his work.work.

He met her when He met her when he was nine, she he was nine, she eight, at his eight, at his father’s home.father’s home.

Most likely at a Most likely at a May Day May Day festival.festival.

She was his She was his angel,angel,

And from that day And from that day on his life and on his life and work were work were dedicated to her.dedicated to her.

He could not He could not touch her. This touch her. This was the age of was the age of Courtly love.Courtly love.

Beatrice married Beatrice married about 1287, and about 1287, and died in 1290 at died in 1290 at the age of 25.the age of 25.

DANTE 1530 ARTIST UNKNOWNDANTE 1530 ARTIST UNKNOWN

AnAllegoricalRepresentation.

BEATRICEBEATRICEDante’s muse,Inspiration, the femaleAspect behind theGenius.

Bernardino dei Conti1500.

SHE IS THE DIVINELIGHT OF LOVE.

DANTE’S MEDIEVAL WORLDDANTE’S MEDIEVAL WORLD

His world was threefold:His world was threefold: The world of politics,The world of politics, The world of theology,The world of theology, The world of learning.The world of learning. His His ComedyComedy utilizes all utilizes all

three; these areas arethree; these areas are Interdependent, so thatInterdependent, so that It is impossible to sayIt is impossible to say That one was more That one was more

important than the important than the other.other.

The middle ages The middle ages was dominated by was dominated by the struggle the struggle between the between the papacypapacy

And the empire.And the empire. Both thought that Both thought that they were of they were of divine origin, divine origin, and indispensable and indispensable to the welfare of to the welfare of mankind.mankind.

THE PAPACYTHE PAPACYThe Vatican,Rome, Italy.

One of the few remaining city-states in the world.

The EmpireThe EmpireCONSTANTINE

WHERE CHURCH AND STATEWERE FIRST TIED UP.

CAUSE OF THE STRUGGLE BETWEEN CAUSE OF THE STRUGGLE BETWEEN PAPACY AND EMPIREPAPACY AND EMPIRE

THE PAPAL CLAIM TO THE PAPAL CLAIM TO TEMPORAL POWER,TEMPORAL POWER,

JUSTIFIED BY THE JUSTIFIED BY THE FORGEDFORGED

““DONATION OF DONATION OF CONSTANTINE” IN THE 8CONSTANTINE” IN THE 8THTH CENTURY, STATED THAT CENTURY, STATED THAT THE EMPEROR, BEFORE THE EMPEROR, BEFORE LEAVING FOR BYZANTIUM LEAVING FOR BYZANTIUM HAD GIVEN POWER TO THE HAD GIVEN POWER TO THE BISHOP OF ROMEBISHOP OF ROME

POPE SYLVESTER I,POPE SYLVESTER I, POLITICAL DOMINION POLITICAL DOMINION

OVEROVER ITALY AND THE WESTERN ITALY AND THE WESTERN

EMPIRE.EMPIRE.

THIS CLAIM THIS CLAIM CREATEDCREATED

GREAT STRIFE GREAT STRIFE AND DISCORD INAND DISCORD IN

THETHE EMPIRE. NOTHING EMPIRE. NOTHING NEW BETWEEN NEW BETWEEN RELIGION ANDRELIGION AND

POLITICS.POLITICS.

THE IMPORTANCE OF VIRGILTHE IMPORTANCE OF VIRGIL

IN THE MIDDLE AGESVIRGIL WAS REGARDEDAS A SAGE AND NECROMANCER.HIS POEM’S WERE OPENEDIN A MANNER OF DIVINATIONCALLED SORTES. THE BOOKWAS OPENED AT RANDOMAND A VERSE SELECTEDAS AN ANSWER TO AQUESTION. THE BIBLE ISSTILL USED THIS WAY.

VIRGIL 70 B.C.E. 19 B.C.EVIRGIL 70 B.C.E. 19 B.C.E He was the greatest He was the greatest of the Roman poets.of the Roman poets.

His His AeneidAeneid provided provided the pattern for thethe pattern for the

Structure of Structure of Dante’s Hell. Dante’s Hell. However, Virgil was However, Virgil was chosen as Dante’s chosen as Dante’s guide through hellguide through hell

Because Dante saw Because Dante saw him as his master him as his master and inspiration for and inspiration for Dante’sDante’s

Poetic style.Poetic style.

Virgil is also Virgil is also revered as the poet revered as the poet of the Roman Empire.of the Roman Empire.

The The AeneidAeneid tells of tells of the Empire’s the Empire’s founding. Virgil also founding. Virgil also wrote in his fourth wrote in his fourth ecologueecologue

Of the coming of a Of the coming of a Wonder Child who will Wonder Child who will bring the Golden Age,bring the Golden Age,

Interpreted in the Interpreted in the Middle Ages as the Middle Ages as the coming of Christ.coming of Christ.

STRUCTURE OF THE COMEDYSTRUCTURE OF THE COMEDY DANTE’S WORLD DANTE’S WORLD WAS ONE THAT WAS ONE THAT BELIEVED IN BELIEVED IN MYSTICALMYSTICAL

CORRESPONDENCESCORRESPONDENCES NUMBERS, STARS, NUMBERS, STARS, STONES, EVENTS STONES, EVENTS OF HISTORY—OF HISTORY—CONTAINED A CONTAINED A MYSTICAL MYSTICAL SIGNIFICANCE.SIGNIFICANCE.

DANTE’S NUMERICAL DANTE’S NUMERICAL SYMBOLISM:SYMBOLISM:

3 A SYMBOL OF THE 3 A SYMBOL OF THE HOLY TRINITY; HOLY TRINITY;

9 THREE TIMES 9 THREE TIMES THREE.THREE.

33 A MULTIPLE OF 3; 33 A MULTIPLE OF 3; THE 7 DAYS OF THE 7 DAYS OF CREATION; CREATION;

10 CONSIDERED IN 10 CONSIDERED IN THE MEDIEVAL PERIOD THE MEDIEVAL PERIOD A PERFECT NUMBER; A PERFECT NUMBER;

100, THE MULTIPLE 100, THE MULTIPLE OF 10.OF 10.

THIS PLAN WAS CARRIED OUT WITH CONSUMMATEPRECISION.

THERE ARE THREE MAJOR DIVISIONS OF SINS:

1. INCONTINENCE2. VIOLENCE

3. FRAUDULENCE

EACH DIVISION HAS 33 CANTOS, A TOTAL OF 99.

THE FIRST CANTO OF THE INFERNO IS AN INTRODUCTIONTHAT MAKES 100 CANTOS IN ALL.

HELL IS NO PLACE FOR THE WISHY-WASHY, AS WE SHALLSEE.

BEFORE WE ARE DONE, EVERYONE WILL KNOW WHATCIRCLE OF HELL THEY MAY FIND THEMSELVES IN!!!

THE SPIRALING INFERNOTHE SPIRALING INFERNO

DANTE’S HELL IS DANTE’S HELL IS A HUGE FUNNEL A HUGE FUNNEL SHAPED PIT.SHAPED PIT.

THE CENTER IS THE CENTER IS LOCATED BENEATH LOCATED BENEATH JERUSALEM.JERUSALEM.

ITS REGIONS ARE ITS REGIONS ARE ARRANGED IN A ARRANGED IN A SERIES OF SERIES OF DESCENDING DESCENDING CIRCULAR CIRCULAR STAIRCASESSTAIRCASES

THAT DIMINSH IN THAT DIMINSH IN CIRCUMFERENCECIRCUMFERENCE

THE DEEPER THAT THE DEEPER THAT VIRGIL AND DANTE VIRGIL AND DANTE TRAVEL.TRAVEL.

THE NINE REGIONS THE NINE REGIONS ARE DESIGNATED ARE DESIGNATED FOR A PARTICULAR FOR A PARTICULAR SIN.SIN.

THE HIGHER UP A THE HIGHER UP A SINNER, THE SINNER, THE LIGHTER THE SIN, LIGHTER THE SIN, THE DEEPER THE THE DEEPER THE SINNER, THE SINNER, THE DARKER AND MORE DARKER AND MORE TERRIBLE THE SIN.TERRIBLE THE SIN.

CONCEPT OF DIVINE RETRIBUTIONCONCEPT OF DIVINE RETRIBUTION PUNISHMENTS PUNISHMENTS IN HELL ARE IN HELL ARE REGULATED BY REGULATED BY THE LAW OF THE LAW OF RETRIBUTION.RETRIBUTION.

THESE THESE PUNISHMENTS PUNISHMENTS ARE RELATED ARE RELATED TO THE SINS TO THE SINS EITHER BY EITHER BY ANALOGY OR ANALOGY OR ANTITHESIS.ANTITHESIS.

AS ONE SINNED AS ONE SINNED IN LIFE, SO HE IN LIFE, SO HE OR SHE IS OR SHE IS PUNISHED IN PUNISHED IN DEATH.DEATH.

WE WILL SEE WE WILL SEE THIS CONCEPTTHIS CONCEPT

NUMEROUS TIMESNUMEROUS TIMES ININ THE INFERNO.THE INFERNO.

VESTIBULE: UNCOMMITTEDACHERON

CIRCLE I (LIMBO) VIRTUOUS UNBAPTIZEDCIRCLE II: LUSTFUL

CIRCLE III: GLUTTONOUSCIRCLE IV: PRODIGAL, AVARICIOUSCIRCLE V (STYX); THE WRATHFUL

WALLS OF THE CITY OF DIS (CAPITOL OF HELLCIRCLE VI: HERETICS

CIRCLE VII: VIOLENT AGAINST NEIGHBORS;VIOLENT AGAINST THEMSELVES; VIOLENT AGAINST

GOD, NATURE, ART.ABYSS

CIRCLE VIII (MALEBOLGE).GIANTS WELL

CIRCLE IX (COCYTUS):TRAITORS TO

KINDREDCOUNTRY

GUESTSMASTERS

DANTE’SFUNNELSHAPEDHELL

AT THE BOTTOM OF THE INFERNO

ISDANTE’SSATAN.

THEEPITOMEOF EVIL,THE FALLENANGEL.

POINTS TO REMEMBERPOINTS TO REMEMBER

THE INFERNO IS THE INFERNO IS PART OF A WORK PART OF A WORK CALLED THE CALLED THE DIVINE COMEDY.DIVINE COMEDY.

IN THE MIDDLE IN THE MIDDLE AGES COMEDY AGES COMEDY MEANT SOME MEANT SOME HUMAN HUMAN EXPERIENCE THATEXPERIENCE THAT

BEGAN IN BEGAN IN TRAGEDY AND TRAGEDY AND ENDED IN ENDED IN HAPPINESS.HAPPINESS.

IT IS ALSO AN IT IS ALSO AN ALLEGORY.ALLEGORY.

THE MORAL THE MORAL PURPOSE IS TO PURPOSE IS TO POINT OUT TO POINT OUT TO THOSE STILL THOSE STILL LIVING THE LIVING THE ERROR OF THEIR ERROR OF THEIR WAYSWAYS

AND TO PUT THEM AND TO PUT THEM ON THE PATH OF ON THE PATH OF SALVATION.SALVATION.

THE FINALGOAL:

SALVATIONBYTHE

CROSS.