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Examples Of Allegory In Dante's Inferno

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There have been many great poets in our world’s history, among them, would be Dante. T.S. Elliot, another great poet in history, even expressed his love and respect for Dante stating, “Dante and Shakespeare divide the world between them, there is no third.” Dante is the author of The Divine Comedy, which is split into three parts where he journeys through hell, purgatory, and heaven. Dante’s journey through hell is documented in his Inferno, where he recounts all his experiences he had when visiting hell. Dante meets many people in the Inferno and listens to the many interesting stories of why certain people were in hell. Many of the people that Dante talked to were in hell because they failed to repent and did not see it to be their fault …show more content…

Hell, or the inferno, is a very scary place. The gate of hell literally read, “ABANDON ALL HOPE YE WHO ENTER HERE” (Canto III, Line 9) People ended up in the inferno because of the sin they committed and a lack of repentance. Dante’s journey into hell could represent every man's weakness and descent into sin. Dante journeys through the inferno and visits all nine circles of hell. The greater the sin a man commits, the higher the circle number that man will be place in, with the ninth circle being the worst with Satan himself dwelling in this circle. Lawrence Cunningham states, “Satan is portrayed as a giant demon, frozen mid-breast in ice at the center of hell…. In the Ninth Circle.” Dante’s journey through this inferno, symbolizes the weakness and lack of self control in man kind. Dante even breaks some of the rules in hell in a way. Virgil, who is guiding Dante through the inferno, warns Dante not to talk to the men and women in hell. Dante, though, proceeds to talk to as many people as he can. This is another representation of the lack of self control and self discipline in mankind. Clearly, Dante’s journey through hell could represent every man’s weakness and descent into

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