Alighieri’s most famous literary work is likely his epic poem The Divine Comedy. This epic poem is divided into three parts: Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. The most popular of these segments is Inferno, which has been translated numerous times in several different languages. Inferno is about the main character, named Dante, and his journey through the different circles of hell with his guide Virgil. Hell is divided into nine main circles, each one pertaining to a specific sin. With each sin, there is a unique punishment that each of the souls in that circle must endure for eternity. The more deplorable the sin is, the worse the punishment is. Most of these punishments are extremely unsettling at the least and horrific at the worst. However,
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This circle is for the souls of good people who did not accept God when they were alive, and for those who were never baptized. The punishment in this circle is that the souls are in a constant state of emptiness because they will never go to heaven and meet God. The author writes, “there were no wails but just sounds of sighs/rising and trembling through the timeless air…” (canto iv lines 26-27). This indicates that the souls suffer no physical torment or discomfort by anyone or anything, nor are they in pure physical pain. Instead, they are going through eternity with a feeling of desolation and loss of hope of reaching paradise. The emptiness they feel is similar to what religious individuals consider non-believers to experience on a daily basis without God being an active part of their lives.
The second circle of hell is where punishment for sin truly begins. This circle is where the souls of the lustful reside for eternity. Their punishment is being constantly blown around by “warring winds” that never end, giving no moments of peace or rest (canto v lines 30-31). This punishment is possibly a way to describe the restlessness the souls experienced when they were alive due to giving into their lustful wants and desires. While there are definitely sins more severe than lust that deserve worse consequences, the punishment is not unfair, as it fits the sin fairly …show more content…
These were people who possessed opinions that went against religion, Christianity in this case. A scientist who announced a discovery that conflicted with or contradicted beliefs held within the religion as fact would fall into this category. Throughout history, those accused of being heretics were burned, typically at the stake. The punishment for heretics is no different. The author states, “for scattered everywhere among the tombs/were flames that kept them glowing far more hot/than any iron an artisan might use” (canto ix lines 118-120). Since many heretics were burned to death, it makes sense for the punishment to be the
This circle is for the souls of good people who did not accept God when they were alive, and for those who were never baptized. The punishment in this circle is that the souls are in a constant state of emptiness because they will never go to heaven and meet God. The author writes, “there were no wails but just sounds of sighs/rising and trembling through the timeless air…” (canto iv lines 26-27). This indicates that the souls suffer no physical torment or discomfort by anyone or anything, nor are they in pure physical pain. Instead, they are going through eternity with a feeling of desolation and loss of hope of reaching paradise. The emptiness they feel is similar to what religious individuals consider non-believers to experience on a daily basis without God being an active part of their lives.
The second circle of hell is where punishment for sin truly begins. This circle is where the souls of the lustful reside for eternity. Their punishment is being constantly blown around by “warring winds” that never end, giving no moments of peace or rest (canto v lines 30-31). This punishment is possibly a way to describe the restlessness the souls experienced when they were alive due to giving into their lustful wants and desires. While there are definitely sins more severe than lust that deserve worse consequences, the punishment is not unfair, as it fits the sin fairly …show more content…
These were people who possessed opinions that went against religion, Christianity in this case. A scientist who announced a discovery that conflicted with or contradicted beliefs held within the religion as fact would fall into this category. Throughout history, those accused of being heretics were burned, typically at the stake. The punishment for heretics is no different. The author states, “for scattered everywhere among the tombs/were flames that kept them glowing far more hot/than any iron an artisan might use” (canto ix lines 118-120). Since many heretics were burned to death, it makes sense for the punishment to be the