Dante’s Inferno Essay Example

desire but without hope.

The text below is aand unification of Alighieri's Canto IV.

The first circle in Dante's essay is constructed as a Limbo, which raises the question of why.

The writer questions why unbaptized individuals are placed in the first circle of the Inferno. They ponder how God, being just and merciful, can condemn the souls of innocent unbaptized babies to eternal suffering. The writer essentially asks if it is a sin to be unbaptized and to have lived before Jesus Christ.

If the absence of sin eliminates the possibility of a Circle for the unbaptized in the Inferno, then according to the essay "Inferno", when Dante arrives at the first Circle, he is not yet in hell. This initial Circle is described as a "borderland, a place free both from the suffering of hell and from the bliss of heaven" ("Inferno", Par. 19). Consequently, within Circle 1, one can still apply the concept of symbolic retribution. It is emphasized that God does not penalize those who did not believe in Him. However, as they cannot be in His presence in heaven, the creation of the first circle, known as Limbo, is considered an act of merciful justice for these individuals.

Upon entering the circle, Dante encounters a forest teeming with spirits. Within this eerie setting, they stumble upon a fire, where the figures they observe are mere shadows. Continuing their exploration of the circle leads them to a castle encircled by a small river. They traverse through the castle's seven walls until they arrive at a verdant meadow, signifying the end of Limbo.

In Circle 1, Dante observes

numerous individuals from ancient Greek civilization, including notable figures such as Homer, renowned for his two greatest Greek epic works. Among the writers, Horace also stands out for his contributions to poetry. Within this circle, Dante encounters three leading philosophers of Greek society: Plato, Socrates, and Aristotle. Additionally, Euclid, the renowned geometrician, and Hippocrates, recognized as the founder of medicine in ancient Greece, can also be found here.

Dante laments his inability to spend more time with the individuals in this circle. However, Virgil, Dante's guide through hell, is from this same circle called Limbo. Virgil is a renowned writer known for his epic poem, Aeneid.

Circle 2

Circle 2 represents those who have committed the sin of lust and their punishment is to be continuously swept by a forceful gust of wind. The lustful individuals pursued their carnal desires without considering rationality. The penalty they endure is appropriate as it parallels their sin by lacking reasoning.

According to Alighieri's Canto V, I comprehended that the carnal wrongdoers were sentenced to such torment, where their reason is overpowered by their desires.

In whatever direction it chooses to blow, the wind brings the sinners. Gardiner describes their chosen life as beneath the dignity and purpose of a human being, yet they reside in the circles of incontinence rather than violence - their actions were not intentionally malicious. The penalty they face reflects their own choices - they prioritized their lower urges over their higher nature (Gardiner, Par. 2).

In Circle 2 of the Inferno, Dante depicts a smaller and darker space. He describes it as being engulfed by an incessant

"infernal hurricane" (Alighieri, Canto V), where people are continuously flying about, filled with cries and shrieks.

In Circle 2, Dante sees several renowned figures such as Dido, the queen of Carthage who has a relationship with Aeneas; Cleopatra, Antony's beloved; Helen, involved in an affair with Paris; Achilles; and Tristan.

Francesca, the person Dante encounters in Circle 2, shares her life story and explains why she is in this circle. She reveals that she is eternally bound to Paolo, her lover, and they are stuck in a fixed position. Francesca tells Dante that while reading a book about Guinevere and Lancelot, their emotions took over. When they reached the part where Guinevere and Lancelot kissed, Francesca and Paolo gave into their desire and shared a kiss themselves. Unfortunately, Francesca's husband caught them in this intimate moment. Their uncontrollable lust led them to be placed in Circle 2 of the Inferno.

Circle 9

Located at the bottom of this infernal realm, Circle 9 is the deepest and final level of the Inferno. It serves as a specific dwelling for traitors who have committed severe sins according to Dante's classification. Within Circle 9, there are four distinct types of traitors, each occupying their own separate section.
The first type can be found in Caina, named after Cain who infamously killed his brother. These traitors are those who betray someone they deeply love.
Antenora is where political traitors reside; this constitutes the second type.
Ptolomea is home to betrayers of friends, derived from the name Ptolemy.
Lastly, Judeca houses the most despicable traitor in Dante's perspective - one who betrays God.
As a symbolic form of punishment, these

traitors are eternally submerged in a frozen lake with only their heads visible.

According to Dante, the circle is described as a place with pillars that are actually Giants. These Giants have a frozen lake on their feet.

I turned around and saw a lake beneath me. The lake looked like glass, frozen by the frost, rather than like water. (Alighieri, Canto XXXI).

In Caina, Dante witnesses the sinners Napoleone and Alessandro, who fatally clashed over their inheritance. The sinner Bocca, encountered in Antenora, refuses to engage with Dante and is a betrayer of his country. Dante converses with Ugolino, the sinner in Ptolomea, who is horrifically devouring the back of his friend Ruggerio's head. Lastly, the most terrifying figure Dante encounters in Judeca is Lucifer, the ultimate traitor to God.

Lucifer possesses wings that he constantly flaps, resulting in the freezing of the lake. He surpasses the giants in size, making him the largest individual in Inferno. His grotesque appearance portrays three faces: red, yellow, and black respectively. All three of his mouths devour others while his eyes emit a terrifying aura. Ultimately, he epitomizes evil itself.

In conclusion

The concept of symbolic retribution is evident in Dante’s Inferno. Just like the saying "An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth," each person's punishment in the afterlife is directly related to their sins committed in life. What adds intrigue to Inferno are the sinners Dante encounters in different circles. These sinners are notable figures, either from literature or real life. Dante’s Inferno prompts reflection on one's own actions and choices during their lifetime. It is undeniable

that Dante’s Inferno holds a rightful place as a classic in Western literature.