In this lesson we will explore Dante's epic poem, The Divine Comedy (circa 1308), in

which the character Dante travels through Hell, Purgatory, and Heaven.

Introduction
Dante Alighieri's The Divine Comedy is a famous Medieval Italian epic poem depicting
the realms of the afterlife. Dante (who was born in 1265) wrote The Divine
Comedy somewhere between 1308 and his death in 1321, while he was in exile from
his hometown of Florence, Italy, which had been enduring civil war.
The Divine Comedy is divided into three separate volumes, each containing 33 cantos
(or chapters). These volumes are Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso.
Dante is both the author and the central character of this trilogy. He travels through all
of Hell, Purgatory, and Heaven to make his way back to God, meeting several
characters from history and literature on his way.
Inferno
As an exile, the poet Dante felt rather lost in his life; so, at the beginning of Inferno, the
character Dante is likewise lost both physically and spiritually. The ancient Roman
poet Virgil (a hero of Dante's) appears in the poem to guide Dante through Hell in an
effort to save Dante's soul. Hell exists in the middle of the Earth and is made up of nine
circles.
The sinners in Hell have never repented while on Earth. They suffer the consequences
of the sins they committed during life, which are turned back on them, a concept
called contrapasso. For example, canto 20 depicts circle eight, where sorcerers who
used dark magic to see forward into the future now have their heads painfully turned
backwards for all eternity.
Hell is structured like an upside down cone, with each descending circle becoming
smaller and containing more depraved souls and more intense suffering. Right outside
the gates of Hell are those who neither accepted nor rejected God.
Within the gates of Hell, the first circle holds the unbaptized and the pagans born before
Christ (such as Plato, Aristotle, and Virgil himself). The other circles are defined by the
major sin committed by those condemned to that circle: lust (circle two), gluttony (circle
three), greed (circle four), and wrath and depression (circle five). The final circles make
up the infernal city called Dis, with circle six containing heretics, circle seven containing
those who committed violence, circle 8 containing deceivers, and circle nine containing
those who betrayed trust. At the deepest region of circle nine, a three-faced Satan,
stuck in a frozen lake, chews on the worst betrayers of all time: Judas (who betrayed
Jesus), and Brutus and Cassius (both of whom betrayed Julius Ceasar).
Questions:
1. Describe Inferno the manner it was narrated in this summary.
2. Compare circle one (the abode of the “virtuous pagans”) with later circles. Why
does Dante portray their place so differently?
 3. Should Dante have pity or sympathy for the souls he encounters in hell?
4. Describe Satan’s punishment. Why would Dante portray Satan’s punishment in
such fashion?
5. What is the significance of saying love is primal in the words above Hell's gate?
Purgatorio
After the harrowing experience in Hell, Dante and Virgil climb out and enter Purgatory,
where penitent souls endure punishment in order to fully purge themselves of sin before
entering Heaven. Purgatory is shaped like a mountain and is divided into seven different
levels, associated with the seven deadly sins of pride, envy, wrath, sloth, covetousness,
gluttony, and lust.
Contrapasso still exists to some extent; for example, those who struggled with the
flames of lust on Earth literally endure a purging fire in Purgatory. But, unlike the souls
in Hell, these souls embrace their punishment because it is making them holy. They
sing and praise God in the midst of their punishment, and implore Dante to ask people
on Earth to pray for their souls. Also unlike the souls in Hell, they are free to move
between the seven levels as they purify themselves. Beyond the seventh level at the top
of the mountain is the earthly paradise of Eden, where Virgil disappears and is replaced
by Dante's next guide.
1. What is the Christian idea of a Purgatorio?
Purgatorio is a place where souls can atone for their sins. Penitent souls endure
punishment in order to fully purge themselves of sin before finally entering
Heaven. Souls are given punishment as to the exact opposite of their sins and
vices. Living relatives also pray for them until they qualify to get into heaven.

2. Think about the punishments for each of the vices. Does Dante’s theory of
contrapasso from Inferno (in which the punishment of a sinner matches his
crime) apply here?
Yes it does. Souls in purgatory are given punishment as to the exact opposite of
their sin. Alongside with this, they sing and praise God and they roam from
different levels of Purgatorio, not like the souls in Hell, they endure forever.
 3. Compared to Inferno, how is time represented in Purgatorio? Why are Dante and
Virgil so rushed? In the same vein, why are the penitents so concerned about
time?
In pugatorio, everyone rushes about. Dante is warned by his teachers to hurry.
Time in Purgatorio is represented by the lines towards the circumference.
Meanwhile, Dante and Virgil rushed things because angels will rush back to
close the gates of Heaven. In the same aspect, the penitent souls rush towards
the top of the mountain in their eagerness for the gates of heaven.

4. Consider the threefold division of sin in Inferno into incontinence, violence, and
fraud. How are these categories of sin represented in Purgatorio? Are they
ordered differently than they are in Inferno? Why or why not?
The classification of sin in Pugatorio is more psychological than in Inferno, being
based on motives rather than actions. Souls in Purgatorio committed sins
because of their willingness to do good things on the other way around. Each
terraces purge sin in an appropriate manner and they were ordered differently
with the sins in Inferno because souls in Purgatorio may leave their circle once
they corrected the flaw that made them commit the sin.
5. Think about the concept of love. According to Virgil, where does love come from
and how does it relate to free will? Also, how does it relate to Marco Lombardo’s
conception of the human soul?
Dante clearly shows the different kinds of love as he travels form Inferno to
Heaven and that love depends on its location and position. But, in Purgatorio,
Dante describe that love comes from God is pure. He also added that a romantic
love between husband and wife needs to be aimed solely to God. God’s love for
humanity made Him gifted us with the free will to do what our hearts’ desires. In
return, this free will may build or destroy our lives. This connotes to Marco’s idea
that souls are childlike and unaware of the things to come or unmindful of what
actions may bring about to one’s life. That’s why the soul, even though given the
gift of free will, like a child, still need a guide to rule its love.
Paradiso

Paradiso” is the final part of Dante Alighieri’s long, narrative poem, Divine Comedy. In
it, Beatrice accompanies Dante as he journeys through the nine levels or spheres of
heaven, which are represented by various celestial bodies. In each section, Dante’s
guides attempt to teach him various lessons.
In the first sphere, represented by the moon, Dante meets Piccarda Donati, who
explains why the souls kept here are so happy with their place in heaven. Beatrice
quizzes him on the reason for the moon’s spots and explains how the waxing and
waning of the moon are associated with inconsistency. As such, the moon houses
souls whose word could not be trusted and were lacking in courage. The pair also
meets Constance of Sicily, who was removed from her convent against her will and
forced to marry Henry VI. Their visit concludes with Beatrice’s avowal of the sacredness
of keeping one’s vows and the importance of free will.

The second level of heaven, represented as the sphere of Mercury, is where Dante and
Beatrice meet Justinian, who explains the history and destiny of Rome. As Mercury is
difficult to observe due to its proximity to the sun, this sphere of heaven represents
those who did good deeds out of a desire for recognition and fame. Therefore,
Justinian’s explanation of this realm focuses on Caesar’s lust for power and glory, and
how such vain desires hold no relevance in heaven. Beatrice also reminds Dante of
God’s vengeance on Jerusalem for much the same reason.

The sphere of Venus is the third level of heaven, wherein Dante meets Charles Martel
of Anjou. Martel reminds Dante that the key to a functioning, well-rounded society is the
inclusion of people from a wide variety of backgrounds. The two also happen upon
another individual, the composer and poet Folquet de Marseilles, who speaks to them of
the temptations of love.

The fourth level of heaven is depicted as the sphere of the sun. Here, Dante encounters
examples of prudence; the souls of the wise who help illuminate the earth
intellectually. Twelve bright lights, representing the souls of twelve individuals, encircle
Beatrice and Dante. Another twelve lights also surround the couple, including St.
Dominic, who warns Dante about the perils of judging too hastily.

The fifth level of heaven is the sphere of Mars. As this planet is typically associated with
the god of war, Dante recognizes this sphere as the home of the warriors of the faith
who sacrificed their lives for God. Here, Dante meets Cacciaguida, who discusses the
virtue of Florence while bemoaning the manner in which the city has declined in recent
years. Cacciaguida comments on the noble Florentine families and conveys to Dante
the importance of his exile. He is to fulfill his poetic mission by telling the world what he
has seen in hell, purgatory, and heaven. Dante and Beatrice then meet other
champions of the faith, including Joshua, Charlemagne and Judas Maccabeus.

As the sixth level of heaven, Jupiter, is typically associated with the king of the gods.
Dante portrays this planet as the home of the gods who display justice. They spell out a
Latin phrase that, in English, translates to “cherish justice, you who judge the earth”,
and then form a giant eagle that speaks to Dante of divine justice and inscrutability. The
rulers comprising the eagle are biblical kings, Constantine, emperor of Rome, Trajan, a
Trojan hero, and a pagan who was saved by God due to his righteousness.

The seventh level of heaven, the sphere of Saturn, was identified by Dante as the home
of those who embody temperance and dedicate their lives to prayer. Dante envisions
these people climbing up and down a golden ladder. It is here that he meets the poet,
St. Peter Damian, who speaks of the corruption of the church, as well as the doctrine of
predestination. He also meets St. Benedict who is angered by what he sees as the
moral decline of the church.

Still accompanied by Beatrice, Dante enters the eighth level of heaven, otherwise
known as the Fixed Stars, which is the realm of the constellation Gemini. Here, the pair
finds the Virgin Mary, as well as other Biblical saints such as John, Peter and James,
who test Dante’s hope, love and faith. Dante also sees Adam, who explains how long
he lived in Eden and why he incurred the wrath of God. Before departing, Dante and
Beatrice witness St. Peter’s anger with the papacy, specifically the incumbent Pope
Boniface VIII.

The ninth and final level of heaven, also known as the Primium Mobile is the last sphere
of the physical universe. It is directly controlled byGodd, and any action or movement in
this sphere affects all the spheres beneath it. It is here that angels live, and where
Dante gets the first glimpses of God as an intensely bright point of light surrounded by
nine rings of angels. As they slowly ascend to the Empyrean, Beatrice shares with
Dante the story of creation and the history of the angels, while also touching upon the
creation of the universe.

Once they reach the Empyrean, Dante and Beatrice have ascended to a realm beyond
physical existence, which is where God lives. Throughout “Paradiso”, Beatrice has
been a metaphor for theology; now she is transformed and made more beautiful than
ever. Dante becomes enveloped in light, which permits him to see god.

As “Paradiso”, and the Divine Comedy, ends, Dante is trying to understand how the
three circles he sees, representing Father, Son and Holy Spirit, work together. In an
instant, he understands and becomes all the more convinced of God’s eternal love.

1. How does Dante describe the indescribable? Consider the role of speech and
silence in Paradiso.

Dante in Paradiso uses different approach in his way of writing. He was able to
describe the indescribable by presenting the ideas like an art that relies on
images and symbols. This revealed that he was in a struggle to express a vision
which was imageless in the beginning. As it was said that the place, so sacred,
imposed silence. In this part of the Divine comedy, Dante wanted that only the
good readers and deserving enough could truly understand it like the idea of a
paradise would be.

2. Can both fate and free will exist simultaneously? Explain.

Fate is that we are meant to be in a certain point of our time like meeting with the
person you are destined to be with while free will is what we choose to do at a
certain situation. Generally, these two ideas can co-exist together because fate is
a message comes from the divine while free will is our choice on what we will do
with that message.

3. How do the blessed souls reflect the idea that God's love is the source of
everything?

God created us with the need to love and to be loved, and He alone can satisfy
the deepest yearning of every human soul for total love and complete
understanding. Dante realized in Paradiso that everything was motivated by love
and that every sphere of heaven holds a deeper love for God. He defined love
as; having one’s soul aligned with God’s love.

4. According to Dante, at what point does man have to stop relying on reason and
trust blind faith? What kinds of things cannot be explained by reason?
 Throughout Dante’s journey, he realized that everything was encompassed by
love that comes from God and in return we should love Him back and faithful to
God. Love should be projected solely onto God first and the rest of happiness
falls into place. As the verse says, everything works together for good for those
who love God – who truly love and faithful to Him.

5. What is Dante's relationship to Beatrice? How does his obsessive love for her
color his behavior?

Beatrice was a representation of what Dante wishes to a woman – an image of

his romantic love satisfaction. Dante’s love for Beatrice swayed him to create a
new style of poetic writing. His realized that his love to Beatrice would never be
consummated and so this kind of love turned more into love of writing.

6. What does God look like to Dante? Is this what you expected? What do you think
the answer to the mystery of the Incarnation is? Why don't we get to see it?

Dante’s vison of God is a flash of insight that cannot be put into words. He saw
movements and images of Love visible in Heaven. It was expected that nobody
can see God. The Bible says that Abraham able to see God face to face but it did
not mention about the exact figure. What Dante saw was more of God’s love
figure. This idea proves incarnation – that Jesus became flesh and assumed a
human nature and after His death he resumed to Heaven to be divine.

7. In your opinion, does Dante succeed in his poetic mission?

Dante’s Divine Comedy was a representation of Christian belief about Hell,

Purgatory and Heaven. His mission is to save the souls from a fate similar to
what Dante had seen in his journey. This supposed to prove what Christians
would have been through once they get into afterlife and to transport all mankind
from misery to happiness. With his unique poetic style, he truly succeeded his
mission to the world.

Questions about Divine Comedy

1. What is the major theme?
“A coin has always its two sides as human does – the good and the evil.” This idea implies the
major theme of the text. Souls that are residing in hell connote the idea of the evil aspect while
souls in heaven suggest the good side.
2. What does The Divine Comedy reveal about human nature?
It clearly portrays that human are naturally sinners and that they cannot abstain from getting
sinned. Another idea that was revealed is that most of sins committed are of transgression to
fidelity and purity of individuals. Adultery and faithlessness among people were given emphasis
in the text.
3. How is the theme of good vs evil relevant to The Divine Comedy?
Divine Comedy explores the idea of good and evil and expands on the possibilities of life and
death. Dante uses single character to travel through to reveal the good and evil of the world.

4. What would be a good expository essay topic to write about for Dante's The Divine Comedy?
If I am going to write an expository essay about the journey of Dante in The Divine Comedy is
the revelation of the different kinds of love in three different locations.

5. What are the similarities between The Divine Comedy and Chaucer's Canterbury Tales?

The most obvious similarities of The Divine Comedy to that of The Canterbury Tales were the
treatment of the church and the exposition of sins committed by the people who were devoted
Christians during their time. Both books are critical as they presented rampant corruption and
widespread abuses in the church.