Dante's Inferno Final Exam Study Guide

Author

Dante Alighieri

Lived

1265-1321

Born in

Florence

Considered the

Father of the Italian Language

Time Period

Late Middle Ages (Medieval Period)

Written around

1308-1321

Why Dante Wrote It

To show the consequences of sin and the path toward salvation.

Dante's Beliefs

Devout Roman Catholic.

Dante's Personal Life

Married Gemma Donati.

Dante's Guide through Hell

Virgil

Structure of The Divine Comedy

Three Parts: Inferno, Purgatorio, Paradiso

Number Symbolism

The number 3 represents the Holy Trinity.

Cantos in Entire Divine Comedy

100 cantos

Cantos in Inferno

34 cantos

Cantos in Purgatorio

33 cantos

Cantos in Paradiso

33 cantos

Meter in English Translations

Iambic meter

Original Italian Meter

Terza Rima

Why Terza Rima?

Creates forward movement.

What Hell Looks Like

Giant funnel/cone beneath Jerusalem.

Lucifer's Location

At the very bottom, frozen in ice.

Journey in Hell

Begins on Good Friday, 1300.

Circle 1: Limbo

Punishment: No physical torture, eternal separation from God.

Circle 2: Lust

Punishment: Blown endlessly by violent winds.

Circle 3: Gluttony

Punishment: Lie in freezing, filthy rain.

Circle 4: Greed

Punishment: Push giant weights against each other forever.

Circle 5: Wrath

Punishment: Wrathful fight in the river Styx.

Circle 6: Heresy

Punishment: Trapped in burning tombs.

Circle 7: Violence

Divided into Three Rings with different punishments.

Circle 8: Fraud (Malebolge)

Ten Ditches with various punishments.

Circle 9: Treachery

Frozen lake called Cocytus.

Important Character Relationships

Virgil symbolizes human reason; Beatrice symbolizes divine grace.