In order to find one specific idea within the many themes and symbols found in
Dante Alighieri’s “Inferno”, I had to look past the obvious themes such as justice, evil, man’s place in the natural world and religious beliefs. Instead I wanted to focus on a theme that occurs in almost every story known to man. The theme I chose is the “journey”, or the concept of importance within a journey. A theme that I feel is mostly overlooked because the audience and character(s) are too focused on the destination in order to appreciate this theme as it’s happening. Dante’s “Inferno” begins with Dante himself awakening alone and lost from God in the middle of the woods. After almost being attacked by three wild beasts, the ghost of ancient poet
Virgil appears and saves him. Virgil is …show more content…
Virgil takes Dante on an insightful and terrifying journey through the nine circles of hell. Each circle punishes damned souls for the rest of eternity, damned souls are exiled to one of these nine circles in Hell based on which circle represents their specific sin. For example, those who commit sins of avarice or prodigality are damned to the fourth circle of hell, where they are punished by pushing enormous objects into one another for the rest of eternity.
The worst the sin is, the deeper the nine circles the committed soul is damned to. Once Dante and
Virgil have voyaged through the nine circles of hell including a brief encounter with Lucifer,
Virgil and Dante actually travel down Lucifer’s back to make their way out of Hell and back into the real world. This whole journey through Hell represents Dante’s attempt to find God during
2
his times of sin. Each level of the nine circles symbolizes different temptations that life throws at us. Though Dante and Virgil were able to reach their destination, Dante still goes on with his life long journey to connect with God. Most medieval stories on quests and journeys usually have some princess or
Dante Alighieri’s “Inferno”, I had to look past the obvious themes such as justice, evil, man’s place in the natural world and religious beliefs. Instead I wanted to focus on a theme that occurs in almost every story known to man. The theme I chose is the “journey”, or the concept of importance within a journey. A theme that I feel is mostly overlooked because the audience and character(s) are too focused on the destination in order to appreciate this theme as it’s happening. Dante’s “Inferno” begins with Dante himself awakening alone and lost from God in the middle of the woods. After almost being attacked by three wild beasts, the ghost of ancient poet
Virgil appears and saves him. Virgil is …show more content…
Virgil takes Dante on an insightful and terrifying journey through the nine circles of hell. Each circle punishes damned souls for the rest of eternity, damned souls are exiled to one of these nine circles in Hell based on which circle represents their specific sin. For example, those who commit sins of avarice or prodigality are damned to the fourth circle of hell, where they are punished by pushing enormous objects into one another for the rest of eternity.
The worst the sin is, the deeper the nine circles the committed soul is damned to. Once Dante and
Virgil have voyaged through the nine circles of hell including a brief encounter with Lucifer,
Virgil and Dante actually travel down Lucifer’s back to make their way out of Hell and back into the real world. This whole journey through Hell represents Dante’s attempt to find God during
2
his times of sin. Each level of the nine circles symbolizes different temptations that life throws at us. Though Dante and Virgil were able to reach their destination, Dante still goes on with his life long journey to connect with God. Most medieval stories on quests and journeys usually have some princess or