The nature of sin and divine justice

Setting

Dante's Inferno takes place in the underworld, specifically the nine circles of Hell. The story begins on the night before Good Friday in the year 1300, when Dante finds himself lost in a dark forest. He is then guided by the Roman poet Virgil on a journey through Hell, depicted as a series of concentric circles descending into the center of the Earth.

The nine circles of Hell become increasingly horrific as Dante and Virgil descend deeper, with sinners enduring punishments that fit their crimes. The landscape varies dramatically between circles, from dark forests and burning deserts to rivers of boiling blood and a frozen lake at the very bottom. Throughout their journey, Dante and Virgil encounter mythological creatures, historical figures, and Dante's contemporaries suffering eternal torments.

While the setting is Hell itself, the story also has a temporal setting in medieval Europe, specifically Italy, in the year 1300. This was a time of political upheaval in Florence, Dante's home city, which is reflected in many of the encounters and conversations throughout the Inferno. The blending of Christian theology, classical mythology, and contemporary politics creates a rich tapestry that vividly brings Hell to life.

Characters

• Dante Alighieri: The poem’s narrator and main character, a fictionalized version of the poet. Dante finds himself lost in a dark wood and embarks on a journey through Hell guided by Virgil. Throughout his descent, Dante encounters many souls and learns about the nature of sin and divine justice.

• Virgil: Dante's guide through Hell. He is the shade of the ancient Roman poet who wrote the Aeneid. Virgil represents human reason and classical wisdom, guiding Dante through the circles of Hell with his knowledge and counsel.

• Beatrice: Dante's ideal woman and spiritual guide, who arranges for Virgil to guide Dante through Hell. Though she does not appear directly in the Inferno, her influence is felt throughout as Dante's motivation to complete his journey.

• Charon: The demon ferryman who transports souls across the river Acheron to Hell. He initially refuses to take Dante, a living man, but is persuaded by Virgil.

• Minos: The infernal judge who assigns condemned souls to their respective circles of Hell. He wraps his tail around himself a number of times corresponding to the sinner's destined circle.

• Cerberus: The three-headed dog monster who guards the third circle of Hell, where the gluttonous are punished.

• Plutus: The demon of wealth who guards the fourth circle, where the avaricious and prodigal are punished.

• Phlegyas: The boatman who ferries Dante and Virgil across the Styx in the fifth circle.

• Farinata degli Uberti: A Florentine Ghibelline leader encountered in the sixth circle among the heretics. He discusses Florentine politics with Dante.

• Minotaur: The half-man, half-bull monster guarding the seventh circle of Hell.

• Geryon: A winged monster with the face of an honest man, body of a wyvern, hairy arms, and a poisonous sting-tipped tail. He transports Dante and Virgil to the eighth circle of Hell.

• Malacoda: The leader of the Malebranche demons in the fifth bolgia of the eighth circle of Hell.

• Lucifer: Also called Dis or Satan, the fallen angel imprisoned in the deepest part of Hell. He is depicted as a giant, monstrous beast with three faces, eternally chewing on history's three greatest traitors—Judas, Brutus, and Cassius.

Quick facts

• The Inferno is the first part of Dante's epic poem The Divine Comedy, written in the early 14th century.

• The Inferno describes Dante's journey through the nine circles of Hell, guided by the Roman poet Virgil.

• Dante wrote the poem in the Tuscan dialect, helping to establish it as the standardized Italian language.

• The nine circles of Hell represent different categories of sin, with punishments that fit the crimes.

• Famous historical and mythological figures appear throughout the poem, including Cleopatra, Achilles, and Homer.

• Dante included many of his contemporary political enemies in Hell as characters.

• The lowest circle of Hell is a frozen lake, not a fiery pit as often depicted.

• Satan appears trapped waist-deep in ice at the very center of Hell.

• The Inferno introduced many of the images and ideas about Hell that have become common in Western culture.

• T.S. Eliot called Dante and Shakespeare “the two greatest poets of Europe."

About the Author

Dante Alighieri, born in 1265 in Florence, Italy, is widely regarded as one of the greatest poets in Italian literature. Though born into a noble family, Dante's early life was marked by loss; his mother died when he was young and his father passed away before 1283. At around age 20, Dante married Gemma Donati and had three children with her, though his true love remained Beatrice Portinari, whom he first met as a child and later became his muse and inspiration.

Dante's most famous work is The Divine Comedy, an epic poem describing the author's imaginary journey through Hell, Purgatory, and Paradise. Written in the vernacular Italian rather than Latin, it helped establish the Tuscan dialect as the standardized Italian language. The poem is notable for its vivid depictions of the afterlife and for featuring both historical and contemporary figures. Dante's other major works include La Vita Nuova, a collection of love poetry dedicated to Beatrice, and prose works on politics and linguistics.

Politics played a major role in shaping Dante's life and writing. He was active in Florentine politics as a member of the White Guelph faction, but was exiled from the city in 1302 when the rival Black Guelphs seized power. Dante spent the rest of his life wandering Italy, never to return to his beloved Florence. During his exile, he wrote most of The Divine Comedy as well as political treatises arguing for a unified Italy under imperial rule. Dante's exile gave his writing a bitter edge, but also allowed him to comment more freely on the corruption he saw in both political and religious institutions.

Dante died in Ravenna in 1321, but his legacy lived on. He is considered the “father of the Italian language” for his role in establishing the Tuscan vernacular as the literary standard. His vivid imagination and unparalleled poetic skill influenced countless later writers and artists. Though controversial in his lifetime, Dante is now revered as a national poet in Italy and one of the towering figures of world literature.