Dante’s Inferno

Author Biography Dante Alighieri

Son of a noblemanBorn May 1265 in Florence, ItalyReceived early education in FlorenceAttended the University of BolognaFought in the Florence Army in the Battle of

Campaldino (1289), a conflict between the Guelphs and Ghibellines (supporters of the Pope and Holy Roman Emperor, respectively); Dante was 24

DEPICTION OF DANTE

Author Biography His great love seems to have been

Beatrice Portinari.They met when they were children.Dante worshipped her.Beatrice was Dante’s inspiration for The Divine

Comedy.After her death in 1290, he dedicated a book of

verse, La Vita Nuova, or “The New Life,” to her.Though each married, they did not marry each

other.

Beatrice

Author Biography Dante entered an arranged marriage in

1291 with Gemma Donati, a noblewoman.

They had four children—Jacopo, Pietro, Giovanni, and Antonia.

Records contain little else about their life together.

Author Biography By 1302, Dante was a political exile from

Florence: the Black Guelph faction had finally taken over the city and killed many of their enemies.He probably started The Divine Comedy

after this exile.Personages past and present from politics,

history, mythology, religion, literature, and Dante’s personal life—including Beatrice—appear throughout The Divine Comedy.

Dante’s Inferno: Introduction The Divine Comedy is made up of three

parts, corresponding with Dante’s three journeys: Inferno (or Hell); Purgatorio (or Purgatory); and Paradiso (or Paradise).

Each part consists of approximately 33 cantos.

Inferno as epic poem = exalted subject matter, heroic actions, contains long speeches, begins in medias res

Terza rima-11 syllables per line

Dante’s Inferno Dante and Virgil

enter the wide gates of Hell and descend through the nine circles.

In each circle they see sinners being punished for their sins on Earth; Dante sees the torture as Divine justice.

THE GATES OF HELL

Dante’s Inferno The sinners in the circles include:

Circle One—Those in limbo (basically innocent people; unbaptized and unbelievers)

Circle Two—The lustful Circle Three—The gluttonous (food, drink, other

addictions) Circle Four—The hoarders (greed as sin) Circle Five—The wrathful Circle Six—The heretics Circle Seven—The violent

○ Ring 1: Murderers, robbers, and plunderers○ Ring 2: Suicides and those harmful to the world○ Ring 3: Those harmful against God, nature, art, as well as

usurers (money-lenders)

Dante’s Inferno: Introduction Circle Eight—The

Fraudulent Bowge (Trench) I:

Panderers and Seducers

Bowge II: Flatterers Bowge III: Simoniacs Bowge IV: Sorcerers Bowge V: Barrators Bowge VI: Hypocrites Bowge VII: Thieves Bowge VIII: Counselors Bowge IX: Sowers of

Discord Bowge X: Falsifiers

Dante’s Inferno: Introduction Circle Nine—

TraitorsRegion i: Traitors to

their kindredRegion ii: Traitors to

their countryRegion iii: Traitors to

their guestsRegion iv: Traitors to

their lords

SATAN Giant beast frozen in

a lake of ice at the center of Hell

Three heads Bat-like wings under

each chin create a wind that freezes all other sinners in the Ninth Circle

Chews on Judas, Brutus, and Cassius

Dante’s Inferno: Introduction On Easter Sunday,

Dante emerges from Hell (a symbolic relation to the Resurrection).

Through his travels, he has found his way to God and is able, once more, to look upon the stars.

WORKS CITED www.wsfcs.k12.nc.u

s/cms/lib/NC01001395/.../Intro_-_good.ppt

www.roanestate.edu/faculty/ccurrie/Dante%20Inferno%20Intro.ppt