THE INFERNOTHE INFERNODANTE ALIGHIERIDANTE ALIGHIERI

DANTEDANTE(1265-1321)(1265-1321)

BORN IN BORN IN FLORENCE, ITALYFLORENCE, ITALY AND AND EXILEDEXILED IN 1302 IN 1302

BELIEVED BELIEVED POETRYPOETRY SHOULD BE SHOULD BE WRITTEN IN THE WRITTEN IN THE VERNACULARVERNACULAR –THE –THE LANGUAGELANGUAGE OF THE PEOPLE OF THE PEOPLE

COMPLETED COMPLETED THE DIVINE COMEDYTHE DIVINE COMEDY (THE INFERNO IS PART 1) SHORTLY (THE INFERNO IS PART 1) SHORTLY BEFORE HIS DEATHBEFORE HIS DEATH

THE DIVINE COMEDYTHE DIVINE COMEDY

CHRONICLES DANTE’S JOURNEY CHRONICLES DANTE’S JOURNEY THROUGH THROUGH HELLHELL, , PURGATORYPURGATORY, AND , AND HEAVENHEAVEN

DANTE IS GUIDED BY HIS LOVE DANTE IS GUIDED BY HIS LOVE BEATRICEBEATRICE IN PARTS OF THE JOURNEY IN PARTS OF THE JOURNEY

IN REAL LIFE, BEATRICE WAS IN REAL LIFE, BEATRICE WAS DANTE’S DANTE’S MUSEMUSE – SHE INSPIRED HIS – SHE INSPIRED HIS WRITING AND WAS A SYMBOL OF WRITING AND WAS A SYMBOL OF PURITYPURITY

THE DIVINE COMEDY AND 3THE DIVINE COMEDY AND 3

ARCHETYPALARCHETYPAL USE USE OF THE NUMBER OF THE NUMBER 33

TDC HAS 3 PARTS TDC HAS 3 PARTS ((INFERNOINFERNO, , PURGATORIOPURGATORIO, AND , AND PARADISOPARADISO))

EACH PART HAS 33 EACH PART HAS 33 CANTOS CANTOS (SECTIONS)(SECTIONS)

USES USES TERZA RIMATERZA RIMA – – STANZAS STANZAS CONSISTING OF 3 CONSISTING OF 3 LINES EACH LINES EACH

JOURNEY TAKES JOURNEY TAKES PLACE OVER 3 PLACE OVER 3 DAYS – DAYS – GOOD GOOD FRIDAY TO EASTERFRIDAY TO EASTER

THE DIVINE COMEDYTHE DIVINE COMEDY

THE DIVINE COMEDY IS AN THE DIVINE COMEDY IS AN ALLEGORYALLEGORY – A LITERARY WORK WITH TWO – A LITERARY WORK WITH TWO LEVELS OF MEANING – THE LITERAL LEVELS OF MEANING – THE LITERAL AND THE SYMBOLIC AND THE SYMBOLIC WHAT IS ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF AN WHAT IS ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF AN

ALLEGORY?ALLEGORY?THE DIVINE COMEDY IS A LITERAL THE DIVINE COMEDY IS A LITERAL

JOURNEY THAT SYMBOLIZES THE JOURNEY THAT SYMBOLIZES THE QUEST FOR REDEMPTIONQUEST FOR REDEMPTION

DANTE’S HELLDANTE’S HELL

ENTERS THE GATES OF ENTERS THE GATES OF HELL, LED BY HELL, LED BY VIRGILVIRGIL

MUST GO DOWN MUST GO DOWN THROUGH NINE THROUGH NINE LEVELS LEVELS (CIRCLES)(CIRCLES) LEADING TO LEADING TO LUCIFERLUCIFER

AT EACH LEVEL, AT EACH LEVEL, DIFFERENT SINS ARE DIFFERENT SINS ARE PUNISHED ACCORDING PUNISHED ACCORDING TO THEIR TO THEIR DEGREE OF DEGREE OF EVILEVIL

DANTE’S HELLDANTE’S HELL

AS DANTE DESCENDS, AS DANTE DESCENDS, THE PUNISHMENTS THE PUNISHMENTS BECOME WORSEBECOME WORSE

HE SEES HE SEES NOTEWORTHY NOTEWORTHY ITALIANSITALIANS AND AND FAMOUS HISTORICAL FAMOUS HISTORICAL FIGURES BEING FIGURES BEING PUNISHEDPUNISHED

GATE TO HELLGATE TO HELL

THE VESTIBULETHE VESTIBULEWHO: WHO: THE THE

OPPORTUNISTSOPPORTUNISTSTHOSE WHO THOSE WHO

CHOOSE NEITHER CHOOSE NEITHER GOOD NOR EVILGOOD NOR EVIL

LIVE ONLY FOR LIVE ONLY FOR THEMSELVESTHEMSELVES

PUNISHMENT:PUNISHMENT: CHASE A BLANK CHASE A BLANK

BANNER WHILE BANNER WHILE STUNG BY WASPS STUNG BY WASPS AND HORNETSAND HORNETS

MAGGOTS/MAGGOTS/LEECHES FEED LEECHES FEED OFF OF BLOOD OFF OF BLOOD FROM THEIR FROM THEIR WOUNDSWOUNDS

THE VESTIBULE IS SEPARATED FROM THE REST OF HELL BY THE RIVER ACHERON

CIRCLE ONE: LIMBOCIRCLE ONE: LIMBO

MORAL PAGANS AND MORAL PAGANS AND THE UNBAPTIZEDTHE UNBAPTIZED

NO PUNISHMENT NO PUNISHMENT BUT NO SALVATIONBUT NO SALVATION

VIRGIL, SOCRATES, VIRGIL, SOCRATES, PLATO, HOMERPLATO, HOMER

CIRCLE TWOCIRCLE TWO(KING MINOS JUDGES ALL NOW)(KING MINOS JUDGES ALL NOW) THE LUSTFULTHE LUSTFUL PUNISHED BY AN PUNISHED BY AN

ETERNAL STORM THAT ETERNAL STORM THAT CONSTANTLY SPINS CONSTANTLY SPINS THEM ABOUTTHEM ABOUT

CIRCLE THREECIRCLE THREE GLUTTONSGLUTTONS BURIED UNDER BURIED UNDER

MUD TO ENDURE MUD TO ENDURE RAIN AND HAILRAIN AND HAIL

CEREBUS GUARDS CEREBUS GUARDS THE SINNERSTHE SINNERS

CIRCLE FOURCIRCLE FOUR

THE GREEDY AND THE GREEDY AND THE WASTEFULTHE WASTEFUL

FORCED TO PUSH FORCED TO PUSH AND CRASH GIANT AND CRASH GIANT WEIGHTS WEIGHTS TOGETHERTOGETHER

CIRCLE FIVECIRCLE FIVE

THE WRATHFUL AND THE WRATHFUL AND THE LAZYTHE LAZY

WRATHFUL FIGHT ON WRATHFUL FIGHT ON THE SURFACE OF THE THE SURFACE OF THE RIVER STYXRIVER STYX

THE LAZY STAY THE LAZY STAY SUBMERGED BENEATH SUBMERGED BENEATH THE SLIME OF THE THE SLIME OF THE RIVERRIVER

CIRCLE SIXCIRCLE SIX

HERETICSHERETICS TRAPPED IN TRAPPED IN

FLAMING TOMBSFLAMING TOMBS THE CAPITAL CITY THE CAPITAL CITY

OF HELL, DIS, IS OF HELL, DIS, IS LOCATED HERE – LOCATED HERE – FALLEN ANGELS FALLEN ANGELS GUARD ITGUARD IT

CIRCLE SEVENCIRCLE SEVEN

THE VIOLENT THE VIOLENT AGAINST OTHERS – AGAINST OTHERS – SUBMERGED IN A SUBMERGED IN A RIVER OF BOILING RIVER OF BOILING BLOODBLOOD

SUICIDES – SUICIDES – TURNED INTO TURNED INTO TREES THAT ARE TREES THAT ARE TORN BY THE TORN BY THE HARPIESHARPIES

THE VIOLENT THE VIOLENT AGAINST GOD, AGAINST GOD, NATURE, AND ART – NATURE, AND ART – LIVE IN A DESERT LIVE IN A DESERT OF BURNING SAND OF BURNING SAND WITH BURNING WITH BURNING RAIN FALLINGRAIN FALLING

CIRCLE EIGHTCIRCLE EIGHT SEDUCERSSEDUCERS – WHIPPED BY DEMONS – WHIPPED BY DEMONS FLATTERERSFLATTERERS – BURIED IN EXCREMENT – BURIED IN EXCREMENT SIMONISTS- (THOSE WHO BOUGHT CHURCH SIMONISTS- (THOSE WHO BOUGHT CHURCH

OFFICES) – BURIED UPSIDE DOWN WITH OFFICES) – BURIED UPSIDE DOWN WITH THEIR FEET AFLAMETHEIR FEET AFLAME

SORCERERS AND FAKE PROPHETS – SORCERERS AND FAKE PROPHETS – FORCED TO MARCH WITH THEIR HEADS FORCED TO MARCH WITH THEIR HEADS TURNED BACKWARDSTURNED BACKWARDS

CORRUPT POLITICIANSCORRUPT POLITICIANS – SUNK IN BOILING – SUNK IN BOILING TAR AND GUARDED BY DEMONSTAR AND GUARDED BY DEMONS

HYPOCRITES – FORCED TO MARCH WITH HYPOCRITES – FORCED TO MARCH WITH LEAD ROBESLEAD ROBES

CIRCLE EIGHTCIRCLE EIGHT

THIEVESTHIEVES – ETERNALLY BOUND AND – ETERNALLY BOUND AND TORTURED BY MONSTROUS SNAKESTORTURED BY MONSTROUS SNAKES

FALSE ADVISORS – WRAPPED IN TONGUES FALSE ADVISORS – WRAPPED IN TONGUES OF FLAME (ODYSSEUS IS HERE)OF FLAME (ODYSSEUS IS HERE)

BEGINNERS OF STRIFE AND UNREST – BEGINNERS OF STRIFE AND UNREST – TORN BY DEMONS WITH GIANT SWORDSTORN BY DEMONS WITH GIANT SWORDS

DIFFERENT TYPES OF DECEIVERS – DIFFERENT TYPES OF DECEIVERS – AFFLICTED WITH THIRST, HUNGER, AFFLICTED WITH THIRST, HUNGER, DISEASE, FILTHDISEASE, FILTH

CIRCLE NINECIRCLE NINETHE TRAITORS TO FAMILY, COUNTRY, THE TRAITORS TO FAMILY, COUNTRY,

FELLOW MAN, AND GODFELLOW MAN, AND GODSATAN IS AT THE BOTTOM OF CIRCLE SATAN IS AT THE BOTTOM OF CIRCLE

NINE – HIS GIANT WINGS CAUSE A NINE – HIS GIANT WINGS CAUSE A WIND THAT FREEZES ALL OF THE WIND THAT FREEZES ALL OF THE LOWER LEVELS IN ICELOWER LEVELS IN ICE

SATAN HAS 3 HEADS – ETERNALLY SATAN HAS 3 HEADS – ETERNALLY DEVOURS CASSIUS, BRUTUS, AND DEVOURS CASSIUS, BRUTUS, AND JUDASJUDAS

DANTE AND VIRGIL HAVE TO CLIMB DANTE AND VIRGIL HAVE TO CLIMB DOWN SATAN’S BODY TO LEAVE HELLDOWN SATAN’S BODY TO LEAVE HELL