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Analysis: Canto IVirgil represents human reason, which can help to a point in bringing Dante out of the wood.Virgil was the inspiration for Dante.Virgils Aeneid was the pattern for The Inferno.It is natural that Virgil should guide Dante when Dante was lost in life just as Virgil guided Dante as Dante wrote.Virgils hoarseness could refer to his not having spoken since he began his journey to Hell, or it could refer to the fact that he had not spoken to the world for some time since he was not a popular writer at the time.It is significant that Virgil cannot speak until Dante speaks to him.46

Ever play DOOM?

Ever wonder what Hell looks like?

Excellent Choice!Who will guide you across the river towards the gates of hell? (click for a hint)

CHARONThe River AcheronAnalysis : Canto IThe three animals the leopard, lion, and wolf, are images of sin.The first animal the leopard depicts the sins of self-indulgence or incontinence, which are often sins of youth.The lion represents the sins of bestial violence which often are the sins of adulthood.The wolf represents the malicious sins, the sins of age.The greyhound is a symbol of the political or religious leader who will come to help rid the world of greed.It could also symbolize Dantes friend Can Grande (Italian for Great Dog) della Scalla, the Ghibelline leader.45

THE GATES OF HELLABANDON ALL HOPE YE WHO ENTER HERE

Dante andwho was his guide?Now, you must choose your own guide through the depths of HellVIRGILFamous Icons Trapped in Limbo

HomerClick to reveal the names of the eternally damnedOvidLucanHorace

Circle II The Carnal-The sinners are sentenced to their punishment by Minos (pictured here).

The Suffering of the Carnal- The Lustfulindulged their passions beyond reason.- trapped forever in a violent storm, never to touch anything again.- Features the lovers Francesca and Paolo (pictured below).

Circle III The Gluttonous

Those trapped in Circle 3 are constantly maimed by CerberusSymbolic of their excessive drinking and eatingClick here to see a picture of the suffering of the gluttonous

CERBERUSThe Suffering of the Gluttonous

They lie in putrid slush (symbolic of the garbage they produced)It is continuously raining and hailingThey provide quite a hefty snack for Cerberus

Circle IV The Hoarders and Wasters

The Greedy vs. the Wasteful They are divided into two groups, each pushing boulders against each other (symbolic of their mundane existence on earth, with sin punishing its opposite sin).

Circle V - The River Styx-The Wrathful are forever attacking one another while stuck in the marsh of the Styx- Crossing the river on your own is too dangerouswho will be your guide? (click the picture to find out)

Crossing the River StyxPhlegyas, your guideThe Slothful are eternally trapped beneath the swampy water of the RiverThey reach out and try to pull you into the swampClick HERE to view a video of Dante and Virgil crossing the Styx

You have reached the City of Dis!

The Shores of DisNow, your true nightmare beingsfor within the Walls of Dis are the worst sins of Hell...THE SINS OF MALICE

There is no turning back nowClick the Stairs to enter DisClick HERE to see a video about the Sins of Malice

Circle VI The HereticsThe heretics denied immortality, and therefore denied God.

They are entombed in flaming graves for eternity (since they believed the soul dies with the body, they will suffer that fate in Hell).

Circle VIIThe Violent and the Bestial

Circle VII - Outer RingThe Violent Against NeighborsMurderers and Warmakers are immersed in boiling blood (symbolic of the blood of those they killed).

Centaurs (pictured here) guard the banks and shoot arrows at anyone who tries to escape

Circle VII Middle RingThe Violent Against Self

The Wood of the Suicides

Their souls are encased in thorny trees.

The harpies feed upon their leaves. (Click to see the harpies feeding on the trapped souls)

Circle VII Middle RingThe Violent Against GodThe blasphemers, sodomites, and usurers all committed a profane act against GodThey are lain over burning sand or forced to ceaselessly run around in circlesThe sky rains fire symbolic of Gods wrath

Circle VIII - Malebolge

-Malebolge contains the Fraudulent sinnersThey are guilty of committing deliberate evilEach type of sinner is placed in their own ditchClick on the diagram of Malebolge to explore

SeducersEvil CounselorsThievesHypocritesGraftersSorcerersSimoniacsFlatterers

Sowers of DiscordFalsifiers

The Path to the Ninth Circle...

You must be lowered into the pit by the Giants Antaeus and Nimrod

Circle IX Compound Fraud

Circle IX - CainaYou travel across the frozen lake of the 9th circle of HellCaina features those who betrayed their familyThey are frozen up to their necks in iceThey cry eternally for those they betrayed

Circle IX - Antenora

Antenora holds those who betrayed their countryYour fear rises as you travel closer to the lair of the Devil

Circle IX - PtolomeaPtolomea holds those who betryaed their guestsTheir tears freeze instantly and pierce their eyes

Circle IX - JudeccaThe Lair of LuciferTraitors to their Lords

Lucifers three faces eternally consume the bodies of Brutus and Cassius for betraying Caesar, and Judas Iscariot for betraying ChristThere is only one path for you to take nowESCAPE!!!

Dantes Inferno: IntroductionThe Divine Comedy is a narrative poem describing Dantes imaginary journey.Midway on his journey through life, Dante realizes he has taken the wrong path.The Roman poet Virgil searches for the lost Dante at the request of Beatrice.He finds Dante in the woods on the evening of Good Friday in the year 1300 and serves as a guide as Dante begins his religious pilgrimage to find God.To reach his goal, Dante passes through Hell, Purgatory, and Paradise.32Dantes Inferno: IntroductionThe Divine Comedy was not titles as such by Dante; his title for the work was simply Commedia or Comedy.Dantes use of the word comedy is medieval by definition.To Dante and his contemporaries, the term comedy meant a tale with a happy ending, not a funny story as the word has since come to mean.33Dantes Inferno: IntroductionThe Divine Comedy is made up of three parts, corresponding with Dantes three journeys: Inferno (or Hell); Purgatorio (or Purgatory); and Paridisio (or Paradise).Each part consists of a prologue and approximately 33 cantos.Since the narrative poem is in an exalted form with a hero as its subject, it is an epic poem.34Dantes InfernoDante and Virgil enter the wide gates of Hell and descend through the nine circles of Hell.In each circle they see sinners being punished for their sins on Earth; Dante sees the torture as Divine justice.

35Dantes InfernoThe sinners in the circles include:Circle One Those in limboCircle Two The lustfulCircle Three The gluttonousCircle Four The hoardersCircle Five The wrathfulCircle Six The hereticsCircle Seven The violentRing 1: Murderers, robbers, and plunderersRing 2: Suicides and those harmful to the worldRing 3: Those harmful against God, nature, art, as well as usurers36Dantes Inferno: IntroductionCircle Eight The FraudulentBowge (Trench) I: Panderers and SeducersBowge II: FlatterersBowge III: SimoniacsBowge IV: SorcerersBowge V: BarratorsBowge VI: HypocritesBowge VII: ThievesBowge VIII: CounselorsBowge IX: Sowers of DiscordBowge X: Falsifiers37Dantes Inferno: IntroductionCircle Nine TraitorsRegion i: Traitors to their kindredRegion ii: Traitors to their countryRegion iii: Traitors to their guestsRegion iv: Traitors to their lords38Dantes Inferno: IntroductionOn Easter Sunday, Dante emerges from Hell.Through his travels, he has found his way to God and is able, once more, to look upon the stars.39Dantes Inferno: Canto IMidway on his journey through life, Dante falls asleep and loses his way.He wakes during the night of Maundy Thursday (Holy Thursday) to find himself in a dark wood; he does not know how he got there.Dante loses the right way; the narrow road he had wanted to travel has disappeared.Dante feels hope when he sees morning rays of sun over the mountain, even though he is still alone in the valley.41Dantes Inferno: Canto IAs he scales the mountain, Dante encounters a leopard.The leopard impedes his progress, but it is not very frighteningThe second animal that Dante meets is a fierce, hungry lion, which comes toward him swiftly and savagely.The third and worst animal that Dante encounters is a vicious she-wolf.She terrifies Dante so much that he is unable to continue his travels.

42Dantes Inferno: Canto IThe shade of the poet Virgil appears to Dante.Until the greyhound comes to secure the wolf in Hell, Virgil explains, the only way past the wolf is another path.Virgil offers to show Dante the path to an eternal place where he can see long-departed souls.At that point, Virgil says, another guide will come and take Dante to a city which Virgil cannot enter.Dante accepts Virgils offer and follows the poet.43Analysis: Canto IDante has lost the narrow way to God; he finds himself in the valley of sin and separation from GodDante is not sure how he lost the bright, right, narrow way; the darkness of sin and night (Maundy Thursday before Passover) frightens him.When Good Friday (the morning of Jesus crucifixion) arrives, Dante feels hope as he sees the rays of light (goodness) shine over the mountain a symbol of the ascent from evil that one must make to reach God.44