Dante Alighieri The Inferno from The Divine Comedy

The Divine Comedy Dante Alighieri–between 1303 and 1321 Inferno, Purgatorio, Paradiso Represents the soul’s journey to God Tuscan dialect  Standard Italian Language

Inferno Hell 9 Circles of Hell Dante must travel through all to reach the next part of his journey: Purgatory

Important Characters Dante  the author and the hero of this poem; makes the descent into the Underworld Virgil  Dante’s spiritual guide; called upon by Beatrice Beatrice  serves as the Muse; Dante’s true love in life, and protects him from straying from the True Way in death God & Satan  key figures; Satan’s domain is Hell; Dante must travel through this domain to reach God’s kingdom, Heaven

Elements of An Epic Poem Media Res Vast Setting Divine Intervention Long Speeches Descent to Underworld Invocation to Muse Statement of Theme Epithets Epic Cataloguing Hero Embodies the Characteristics of Civilization

Media Res Starts journey at 35 years (Christian faith promises 70) “Midway in our life’s journey…” (Alighieri, 1954, LL. 1-3) Audience is not aware of how or why, exactly Dante ends up in the Dark Wood “I went astray/ from the straight road and woke to find myself/ alone in a dark wood.” (Alighieri, 1954, LL. 1-3)

Vast Setting Covers all of Hell–includes nine distinct circles with various sub-sections

Divine Intervention Hell  demons, Satan, unworthy souls, etc. Beatrice  asks Virgil to show Dante back to the True Way of righteousness Virgil  Dante’s spiritual guide through Hell

Long Speeches Virgil o "You must go by another way who would escape this wilderness, for that mad beast that flees before you there, suffers no man to pass. The [She-Wolf] tracks down all, kills all, and knows no glut, but, feeding, she grows hungrier than she was. She mates with any beast, and will mate with more before the Greyhound comes to hunt her down. He will not feed on lands nor loot, but honor and love and wisdom will make straight his way. He will rise between Feltro and Feltro, and in him shall be the resurrection and new day of that sad Italy for which Nisus died, and Turnus, and Euryalus, and the made Camilla. He shall hunt her through every nation of sick pride till she is driven back forever to Hell whence Envy first released her on the world. Therefore…” (Alighieri, 1954, LL )

Descent to Underworld Dante must descend into Hell to reach purgatory and complete his journey to find the True Way (God’s will) “…be my guide through the sad halls of Hell.” (Alighieri, 1954, L. 126)

Invocation to Muse Beatrice is the Muse “O Muses! O High Genius! Be my aid! /O Memory, recorder of the vision, /here shall your true nobility be displayed!” (Alighieri, 1954, LL. 7-9) Found in the second Canto

Statement of Theme Sinners and God’s Punishment o “I went astray/from the straight road and woke to find myself/alone in a dark wood…” (Alighieri, 1954, LL. 1-3) o “I first wandered there from the True Way. /But at the far end of the valley of evil…” (Alighieri, 1954, LL )

Epithets “The fountain of purest speech” (Virgil) (Alighieri, 1953, LL ) “Poet” (Virgil) (Alighieri, 1954, L. 10) “King of Time” (God) (Alighieri, 1954, L. 117) “True master and first author” (Virgil) (Alighieri, 1954, L. 82)

Epic Cataloguing There were not many examples of long lists in The Inferno, but there were some. When speaking of the Trojan and Latian war, Virgil does give a list of the names of the ones who died. “Nisus died, and Turnus, and Euryalus, and the made Camilla” (Alighieri, 1954, L. 101)

Hero Embodies Values Not only does Dante make himself the hero of his own story, but he embodies the theme of it as well. Dante is the “pilgrim” on a quest to find the True Way. Dante the pilgrim has good intentions-once he finds himself again and realizes that he is lost in the Dark Wood, he is horrified and wants to escape. “I first wandered there from the True Way… virtue leads men straight on every road…” (Alighieri, 1954, LL. 12, 18)

Important Quotes “through me you enter into the city of woes through me you enter into eternal pain, through me you enter the population of loss.... abandon all hope, you who enter here.” “To get back up to the shining world from there My guide and I went into that hidden tunnel;... Where we came forth, and once more saw the stars.” CLICK ME! Dante's Inferno: Oh, Hell!