1. Dante’s Inferno Abandon all hope ye who enter here…

2. The Divine Comedy (1308-21) Imaginary journey of Dante (the character) through Hell, Purgatory, and Paradise Symbolic of the spiritual quest for salvation –Hell- recognizing sin –Purgatory- rejecting sin and waiting for redemption –God in Paradise- achieving salvation through faith

3. Symbolic Numbers 100 Cantos (chapters) –Middle Ages- 100 is the perfect number 1 intro canto 33 Cantos in the Inferno- Power of God the Father 33 Cantos in Purgatory- Wisdom of Christ the son and hope for salvation 33 Cantos in Paradise- Love of the Holy Spirit

4. Symbolic Numbers 3 –Symbolic of the Christian Trinity –Tercets and Terza Rima –3 days of Dante’s journey Hell (Inferno) on Good Friday Purgatory on Saturday Paradise on Easter Sunday

5. Structure of the Poem Virgil- Roman poet –Leads Dante (the character) through Hell –Dante shows deference to him Yet, since Virgil was not baptized, he has to be condemned to Hell along with other Greeks and Romans Symbol of reason without faith