The Allegory In Dante's Inferno
Dante’s Inferno “Dante’s Inferno” is a comedy based on his journey through the nine layers of hell. The voyage started in the 1300’s, during Easter Week, and the descent to hell began on Good Friday. After Dante finds his guide to the Underworld, Virgil who is also a poet, in a mysterious dark wooded area, they begin their journey to hell, a treacherous place with the most horrendous tortures. Dante become lost on his journey and he states that he does not remember how he became lost but he wandered into a fearful place. While he is walking through this terrible forest he comes upon a hill that sun shines bright on, which seems to be able to provide protection against the dark woodlands. As he begins to reach the top of the hill he gets
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as both of the men approach the gate of hell they realize that the doors have an inscription on it that reads, abandon all hope you who enter here. While they enter Hell, Dante hears the cries of torment and suffering. Virgil tells Dante that the cries come from the souls who did not commit to good nor evil, therefore Heaven and Hell denied them access to their kingdoms (Cantos 3). The souls of the disowned now live in the Ante- Inferno, which is in Hell but it not actually part of it, where they chase a white banner. Flies and wasps continuously bite them and writhing worms eat the blood and tears that come from the souls. The souls are not the only souls the reside in the Ante- Inferno. Neutral Angels, which are angels that did not side with God or Lucifer in the war in Heaven, also go through the torment. Whenever Dante and Virgil pass the Ante- Inferno, Virgil leads Dante to the great river Acheron which is the border of Hell. Whenever they approach the river a boat approaches them with an old man on it (Shmoop Editorial Team, 2008). The man is Charon, who recognizes Dante as a living soul and informs him to stay away from the dead. Virgil tells Dante that the only reason Charon had been reluctant about taking them across the river is because only damned souls cross the river. As soon as the Dante and Virgil reach the other
as both of the men approach the gate of hell they realize that the doors have an inscription on it that reads, abandon all hope you who enter here. While they enter Hell, Dante hears the cries of torment and suffering. Virgil tells Dante that the cries come from the souls who did not commit to good nor evil, therefore Heaven and Hell denied them access to their kingdoms (Cantos 3). The souls of the disowned now live in the Ante- Inferno, which is in Hell but it not actually part of it, where they chase a white banner. Flies and wasps continuously bite them and writhing worms eat the blood and tears that come from the souls. The souls are not the only souls the reside in the Ante- Inferno. Neutral Angels, which are angels that did not side with God or Lucifer in the war in Heaven, also go through the torment. Whenever Dante and Virgil pass the Ante- Inferno, Virgil leads Dante to the great river Acheron which is the border of Hell. Whenever they approach the river a boat approaches them with an old man on it (Shmoop Editorial Team, 2008). The man is Charon, who recognizes Dante as a living soul and informs him to stay away from the dead. Virgil tells Dante that the only reason Charon had been reluctant about taking them across the river is because only damned souls cross the river. As soon as the Dante and Virgil reach the other