DANTE AND “THE INFERNO”

DANTE ALIGHIERI

Born in Florence, Italy in 1265

Father was a notary to a family loyal to the Papacy, so family had good political standing

Dante was exiled after the opposing political party gained power in 1302

Was inspired by Virgil and Aristotle

Died in Ravenna, Italy in 1321

THE INFERNO

The Divine Comedy is an allegory of life and God revealed to a pilgrim

Dante travels through Hell, Purgatory, and Heaven in the book’s three sections

The tale represents the recognition and rejection of sin on the journey towards God and Heaven

LEVELS OF HELLHell is divided into nine circle. Some circles have sub-circles within them for the different types of certain sins

Each sin and it’s sub-types have specialized punishments

1. Limbo – people who were not baptized or who were born and died before the advent of Christianity.

2. Lust

3. Gluttony

4. Greed

5. Anger

6. Heresy

7. Violence

- against people and property

- suicides and profligates

- against God

9. Treachery

- against family

- political

- guests

- lords and benefactors

8. Fraud

- panderers and seducers

- flatterers

- simony (selling church offices)

- sorcerers/false prophets

- corrupt politicians

- hypocrites

- thieves

- discords

- falsifiers/alchemists