1. Dante’s Inferno

2. Author Biography Dante Alighieri Son of a nobleman
Born May 1265 in Florence, Italy
Received early education in Florence
Attended the University of Bologna
Fought in the Florence Army in the Battle of Campaldino (1289), a conflict between the Guelphs and Ghibellines (supporters of the Pope and Holy Roman Emperor, respectively); Dante was 24

3. DEPICTION OF DANTE

4. Author Biography His great love seems to have been Beatrice Portinari.
They met when they were children.
Dante worshipped her.
Beatrice was Dante’s inspiration for The Divine Comedy.
After her death in 1290, he dedicated a book of verse, La Vita Nuova, or “The New Life,” to her.
Though each married, they did not marry each other.

5. Beatrice

6. Author Biography
Dante entered an arranged marriage in 1291 with Gemma Donati, a noblewoman.
They had four children—Jacopo, Pietro, Giovanni, and Antonia.
Records contain little else about their life together.

7. Author Biography
By 1302, Dante was a political exile from Florence: the Black Guelph faction had finally taken over the city and killed many of their enemies.
He probably started The Divine Comedy after this exile.
Personages past and present from politics, history, mythology, religion, literature, and Dante’s personal life—including Beatrice—appear throughout The Divine Comedy.

8. Dante’s Inferno: Introduction
The Divine Comedy is made up of three parts, corresponding with Dante’s three journeys: Inferno (or Hell); Purgatorio (or Purgatory); and Paradiso (or Paradise).
Each part consists of approximately 33 cantos.
Inferno as epic poem = exalted subject matter, heroic actions, contains long speeches, begins in medias res
Terza rima-11 syllables per line

9. Dante’s Inferno
Dante and Virgil enter the wide gates of Hell and descend through the nine circles.
In each circle they see sinners being punished for their sins on Earth; Dante sees the torture as Divine justice.

10. THE GATES OF HELL

11. Dante’s Inferno The sinners in the circles include:
Circle One—Those in limbo (basically innocent people; unbaptized and unbelievers)
Circle Two—The lustful
Circle Three—The gluttonous (food, drink, other addictions)
Circle Four—The hoarders (greed as sin)
Circle Five—The wrathful
Circle Six—The heretics
Circle Seven—The violent
Ring 1: Murderers, robbers, and plunderers
Ring 2: Suicides and those harmful to the world
Ring 3: Those harmful against God, nature, art, as well as usurers (money-lenders)

12. Dante’s Inferno: Introduction
Circle Eight—The Fraudulent
Bowge (Trench) I: Panderers and Seducers
Bowge II: Flatterers
Bowge III: Simoniacs
Bowge IV: Sorcerers
Bowge V: Barrators
Bowge VI: Hypocrites
Bowge VII: Thieves
Bowge VIII: Counselors
Bowge IX: Sowers of Discord
Bowge X: Falsifiers

13. Dante’s Inferno: Introduction
Circle Nine—Traitors
Region i: Traitors to their kindred
Region ii: Traitors to their country
Region iii: Traitors to their guests
Region iv: Traitors to their lords

14. SATAN Giant beast frozen in a lake of ice at the center of Hell
Three heads
Bat-like wings under each chin create a wind that freezes all other sinners in the Ninth Circle
Chews on Judas, Brutus, and Cassius

15. Dante’s Inferno: Introduction
On Easter Sunday, Dante emerges from Hell (a symbolic relation to the Resurrection).
Through his travels, he has found his way to God and is able, once more, to look upon the stars.

16. WORKS CITED