1. Dante’s Inferno Background Notes

2. Allegory
An allegory is a work in which the characters, setting, and events stand for abstract or moral concepts
An allegory can be read on a symbolic AND literal level.

3. Imagery Nice sunset. The sunset’s all coppery orange.
Clouds burned with breezy flames as a gold coin dipped below the waves.
Which one made you think of this? 
Language that appeals to the senses and creates a vivid picture in the reader’s mind

4. Dante’s Life Italian poet Born in 1265 C.E.
Married Gemma, had four children
Involved in politics of Florence, a major city/state in Italy
Wrote The Divine Comedy, successful in his lifetime
Died in 1321

5. Dante’s Political Involvement
Dante was involved in the civil wars in Florence
Dante did not believe that the pope or Church should be involved in political affairs
Pope Boniface, circa 1300

6. Dante’s Political Involvement
In 1301 Dante left Florence on an official mission
Political opponents seized the city
They sentenced Dante to death
So he never returned to his beloved city

7. Dante’s Political Involvement
He remained in exile for the rest of his life.
It was during his exile that he wrote The Divine Comedy.

8. Introduction to The Divine Comedy
The Divine Comedy is about a “journey” that Dante goes on from Hell to Purgatory and then to Paradise/Heaven
His goal: Dante must recognize his sin, reject his sin, and then finally achieve salvation through his faith in God.
We will only be reading about his experiences in Hell or the Inferno (which means fire)

9. Numbers in The Divine Comedy
# 3 very important in The Divine Comedy and Christianity
Holy Trinity:
Father
Son
Holy Spirit

10. The Number 3 ‘levels’ of The Divine Comedy Inferno (hell)
Purgatorio (purgatory)
Paradiso (heaven)
3 Guides of Dante’s journey
Virgil
Beatrice
Saint Bernard

11. First Guide: Virgil
Virgil was a Roman poet who died 19 years before Christ was born
He guides Dante through the Inferno/Hell
He is stuck there because he was not a follower of Christ since Christ had not been born yet!

12. The Role of Virgil He is the ultimate symbol of HUMAN REASON
Unfortunately, Dante claims that reason and thought alone is not enough to get to heaven; a person must also have faith.

13. Second Guide: Beatrice
Beatrice was Dante’s life-long love
In The Divine Comedy, Dante depicts her as his symbol of love and faith
Beatrice guides Dante from Purgatorio to Paradiso

14. Third Guide: Saint Bernard
In Real Life:
French Cistercian monk and abbot
C.E.
Supported Pope Innocent II against Anacletus II, an antipope
Strongly opposed heresy
In The Divine Comedy:
instructs Dante when the poet reaches the highest region of Paradiso

15. What happens in The Inferno?
Dante descends through nine levels of Hell
further and further from God until he ultimately meets Lucifer/Satan
Dante meets suffering souls tormented in the Inferno for their sins on Earth