At a young age, Dante met his true love, Beatrice Portinari. Dante's works, The Divine Comedy, as well as "The New Life" were both inspired by her.
Although Dante idolized Beatrice, he was forcibly married to Genna Donati.
By the year 1302, Dante became exiled from Florence.
It was from this exile that he began his work on The Divine Comedy.
- Dante sought to offer commentary on the political nightmare of the 14th century Florence, from which he had recently been exiled.
- The Florentine political parties of the 1300’s were the white and black guelphs. The blacks were more favorable to interests of the old noble class, whereas the whites were more aligned with the rising merchant class. Before Dante’s childhood, Florence participated in the more general political struggle between guelphs and ghibellines on the Italian peninsular and in other parts of Europe. Derived from two warring royal houses in Germany (Waiblingen and Welf), the sides came to be distinguished by their adherence to the claims of the emperor (ghibellines) or the pope (guelph). The guelph cause finally triumphed with the death of Manfred, the son of Emperor Frederick II, at the battle of Benevento, in southern Italy, in 1266. Until this time, Florence alternated between guelph and ghibelline rule, beginning-according to medieval chronicles-with a violent conflict between two prominent families and their allies in 1215. Young Buondelmonte de' Buondelmonti, was murdered by the Amidei clan on Easter Sunday after he broke his promise to marry an Amidei (as part of a peace arrangement) and married one of the Donati instead. This event came to be seen as the origin of the factional violence that would plague Florence for the next century and beyond.
- It's important to understand that Inferno is not a philosophical text.
- Dante's intention is not to understand or think critically about evil, but rather to teach and reinforce the relevant Christian doctrines.
- Key Facts:
- Inferno is part of a larger work, The Divine Comedy.
- Inferno is a narrative poem which falls under the genre of religion/allegory/ fantasy.
- Inferno was written during the early 14th century (probably 1308-1314) in Italy.
- It was written in Medieval Italian vernacular.
- The story is told through the narrator, Dante, as he recounts his journey through Hell.
- Dante speaks in first person from a subjective POV, which allows the reader to experience his emotions and understand his motives.
Setting:
- Hell, year 1300
- Begins on the evening of Good Friday
- Ends on the morning of Easter Sunday
Major Conflict:
- Dante seeks God, but is hindered by those who are being punished in Hell.
Foreshadowing:
- Virgil constantly references to events which happen later on in the text.
- The Italian characters often prophesy Dante's exile from Florence.
- Count Ugolino's gnawing on the head of the archbishop could be interpreted as foreshadowing of Lucifer gnawing on Brutus, Cassius, and Judas.
Introduction:
Dante is lost in the woods, when he comes across 3 beasts: a leopard, a lion, and a she-wolf. Not long after this, Virgil appears, and guides Dante on his journey through Hell.
IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN BALANCE, HELL EXISTS TO PUNISH SIN, AND THE SEVERITY OF THE PUNISHMENTS TESTIFIES TO THE DIVINE PERFECTION THAT ALL SIN VIOLATES!
The Circles
Circle 1: Limbo
The unbaptized and the virtuous pagans reside in Limbo. They did not sin, they just failed to acknowledge accept Christ. The guiltless damned are punished by living in a deficient form of heaven. Limbo features green fields and a castle with seven gates which represent the seven virtues. Some of the wisest men reside in Limbo, including poets Homer, Horace, and Ovid; philosophers Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle; and others such as Julius Caesar.
Circle 2: Lust
Sinners in the second circle are overcome by lust. Dante condemns the sinners for letting their appetites sway their reason. They are the first to truly be punished in Hell. These souls are punished by being blown about by a terrible storm without hope of rest. This is symbolic of the power of lust which can blow one about aimlessly. In this circle, Dante sees Cleopatra, Helen of Troy, Achilles, Paris, and many others who were overcome by sensual lust throughout their life. Dante also encounters Francesca, who committed adultery with her husband's brother, Paolo. Francesca died at the hands of her husband, Giovanni, who she claims will be punished in the ninth circle. The poet John Keats describes the point of view of Paolo in his sonnet "On a Dream":
"...But to that second circle of sad hell,
Where 'mid the gust, the whirlwind, and the flaw
Of rain and hail-stones, lovers need not tell
Their sorrows. Pale were the sweet lips I saw,
Pale were the lips I kiss'd, and fair the form
I floated with, about that melancholy storm."
Circle 3: Gluttony
In the third circle, the gluttons reside, where they are guarded by a three headed dog-like beast, named Cerberus. The gluttons are forced to lie in a vile muck produced by ceaseless foul rain, hail, and snow. The gluttons lie sightless and unaware of their neighbors, which is symbolic of the selfish and empty sensuality of their lives. In this circle, the muck is symbolic of the true nature of the gluttons, which encompasses not only overindulgence in food and drink, but other types of addictions as well. Dante converses with a Florentine named Ciacco, which means "Hog." Ciacco talks about the political strife in Florence and delivers the prophecy that the political party will be exiled from Florence. This happens to be the political party which Dante was a member of.
Circle 4: Greed
Souls whose attitude toward material goods deviated from the appropriate mean, reside in the fourth circle. These souls are divided into two groups, the avaricious (such as clergymen, popes, and cardinals) who hoarded possessions, and the prodigal, who squandered possessions. The groups are guarded by a figure Dante names Pluto (Pluto can refer to Pluto the classical ruler of the underworld, or Plutus, the Greek God of wealth). The souls wear massive weights, which they use as weapons as they fight each other or joust. The nature of this punishment lead Virgil to give a speech about the nature of Fortune, which can raise nations to greatness, and at the same time, plunge them into poverty. The two groups are so focused on fighting that it is pointless for Dante to even try to speak to them. These souls have essentially lost their individuality, and as a result have become unrecognizable.
Circle 5: Anger
In this circle, the wrathful fight each other on the surface of the Styx River, and the sullen gurgle beneath them in the swamp-like water. These souls can find no happiness in God, man, or the universe. While Dante and Virgil are crossing the Styx River, they run into Filippo Argenti, a black Guelph. Filippo took Dante's property when he was exiled from Florence. Virgil blesses Dante when he sees him weeping and grieving. This symbolizes the fact that the souls in Hell are fixed and chosen. It also shows Dante becoming aware of the severity of the sins, and the punishments.
Circle 6: Heresy
Heretics such as Epicureans (claim that the soul dies with the body), reside in circle six. The Heretics are trapped in flaming tombs. Dante encounters two Epicurean Florentines, Farinata degli Uberti and Cavalcante de' Cavalcanti. The men discuss the political strife happening in Florence. When Dante questions the men about the prophecy regarding his exile. Farinata explains that what the souls in Hell know about life on Earth comes from seeing the future, not from observing the present. But when the "portal of the future" is shut, it will be impossible for the souls to know anything.
Circle 7:Violence
The seventh circle houses the violence, and is guarded by the Minotaur. It is divided into three rings: Outer, Middle, and Inner.
- The outer ring houses those who committed violence against people and/or property. These souls are immersed in Phlegethon, a river of fire and boiling blood. They are immersed to a level which is equal to their sins. For example, Alexander the Great is immersed up to his eyebrows. The Centaurs patrol the outer ring, and shoot arrows into any sinners who emerge higher than is allowed.
- The middle ring encompasses those who were violent against themselves, or committed suicide. These souls are transformed into thorny bushes and trees, and then fed upon by Harpies. Dante breaks off a twig and hears the story of Pietro della Vigne, who committed suicide after a falling out with Emperor Frederick II. The bodies which belong to these souls are not resurrected since they gave up their bodies when they committed suicide. Instead, the courpses hang from the thory limbs which belong to the souls. The other residents of this ring are the profligates, who destroyed their lives not through suicide, but by destroying the means by which life is sustained (money and property). THese souls are perpetually chased and mauled by ferocious dogs.
- The inner ring houses those who are violent against God (Blasphemers, sodomites, usurers). These souls reside in a desert of flaming sand with fire raining from the sky. (This fate is similar to the one given to Sodom and Gomorrah.) Dante encounters his mentor, Brunetto Latini. Dante shows him great respect because Brunetto taught Dante how to become eternal. This respect refutes that suggestion that Dante only placed his enemies in Hell.
In order to reach the last two circles of Hell, Dante and Virgil have to descend a cliff. They do so by riding a Greyon. A greyon is a winged monster traditionally thought to have three heads or three conjoined bodies, but Dante describes them as having three mixed natures: human, bestial, and reptilian.
Circle 8: Fraud
The fraudulent, or those guilty of deliberately knowing evil, reside in the eighth circle, which is named Malebolge (Evil Pockets). The eighth circle is divided into ten Bolgie, or stone ditches connected by bridges.
- Bolgia 1: Panderers and seducers are forced to march in separate lines in opposite directions while they are whipped by demons. The demons forcing the souls to march is symbolic of the manners in which the panderers and seducers used the passion of others to do their biding. Virgil points out Jason, who seduced Medea in order to gain her help.
- Bolgia 2: Flatterers who exploited others using language are steeped in human excrement, which is symbolic of the words they produced.
- Bolgia 3: Dante now forcefully expresses his condemnation of those who committed simony. Those condemned in this manner are placed head-first in holes in the rock. One of the residents here is Simon Magus, who offered gold in exchange for holy power to Saint Peter, also seen here.
- Bolgia 4: Sorcerers, astrologers, and false prophets are here. They spend their days with their heads twisted around on their bodies backwards for eternity.
- Bolgia 5: Corrupt politicians are immersed in a lake of boiling pitch, which represents sticky fingers and dark secrets or corrupted deals they had in their pasts. They are guarded by devils called the Malebranche. These devils provide a sort of black comedy that help with the tone of the circle. The leader of the Malebranch, Malacoda, assigns a troop to escort Virgil and Dante safely to the next bridge.
- Bolgia 6: Here the pair finds the hypocrites, listlessly walking along wearing gilded lead cloaks, which represent the falsity behind the surface appearance of their actions. Caiaphas, the high priest responsible for ordering Jesus crucified, is seen here, crucified to the ground and trampled.
- Bolgia 7: Thieves reside among the next two cantos. These people are guarded by the centaur Cacus who has a fire-breathing dragon on his shoulders and snakes covering his back. The full horror of the thieves' punishment is revealed gradually: just as they stole other people's substance in life. "The soul that had become an animal, / now hissing, hurried off along the valley; / the other one, behind him, speaks and spits."
- Bolgia 8: Fraudulent advisers or evil counselors, who are concealed within individual flames live here. These are not people who gave false advice, but people who used their position to advise others to engage in fraud. Ulysses and Diomedes are condemned here for the deception of the Trojan Horse. Guido da Montefeltro recounts how he advised Pope Boniface VII to capture the fortress of Palestrina, by offering the Colonna family inside it a false amnesty, and then razing it to the ground after they surrendered. Although Boniface had absolved Guido in advance for his evil advice, Dante points out the invalidity of that, since absolution requires contrition, and a man cannot be contrite for a sin at the same time that he is intending to commit it.
- Bolgia 9: A sword-wielding demon hacks at the Sowers of Discord, dividing parts of their bodies as in life they divided others. Dante encounters Bertran de Born, who carries around his severed head like a lantern (a literal representation allowing himself to remove his intelligence from himself), as a punishment for (Dante believes) fomenting the rebellion of Henry the Young King against his father Henry II.
- Bolgia 10: A various sort of falsifiers that represent a "disease on society" are themselves afflicted with different types of diseases. The Achaean spy Sinon is here for tricking the Trojans into taking the Trojan Horse into their city and suffers from a burning fever. Myrrha is here for disguising herself to commit incest with her father King Theias and suffers from madness.
Circle 9: Treachery
This circle is ringed by classical and Biblical giants, who symbolize pride and other spiritual flaws lying behind acts of treachery. These traitors are distinguished from the "merely" fraudulent in that their acts involve betraying a special relationship of some kind. These acts are separated into four concentric zones called rounds.
- Round 1: CANIA: Named after Cain, who killed his brother. Traitors of this level are immersed in ice up to their faces.
- Round 2: ANTENORA: Named after Antenor of Troy, who betrayed his city to the Greeks. Traitors to political entities, such as parties, cities, or countries, are located here.
- Round 3: PTOLEMY: Named after Ptolemy, son of Abubus, who invited Simon Maccabaeus and his sons to a banquet and then killed them. Traitors to their guests are punished here.
- Round 4: JUDECCA: Named after Judas Iscariot, Biblical betrayer of Christ. Here are the traitors to their lords and benefactors.
The center of hell is directly below and this is Satan resides. Personal treachery against God which is the ultimate sin admits entry.
Quotes!
Dante's circles of hell
Discussion Questions:
1. How can forces like love and compassion give rise to banishment to Hell?
2. Which sinners seem to be portrayed in a sympathetic light, highlighting their good attributes instead of their sins? Why is this?
3. How does Dante represent good and evil? What does this say about the power of evil in comparison to the power of virtue?
4. If Dante is devoted to honesty in his words, unlike these sinners, is he justified in lying to carry out Divine Justice?
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