Dante’s InfernoDante’s InfernoTraditional View of the AfterlifeTraditional View of the Afterlife

What references to Greek What references to Greek Mythology can you find?Mythology can you find?

Souls of the DeadSouls of the Dead

How many rivers in Hades?How many rivers in Hades?

Four Rivers are marked on the Dante’s Four Rivers are marked on the Dante’s diagram.diagram.

Where is the fifth river located?Where is the fifth river located? Between Purgatory and Paradise in Between Purgatory and Paradise in

Dante’s Version.Dante’s Version. Why might Dante have chosen this Why might Dante have chosen this

positioning?positioning? Heaven is a place of bliss; Lethe is the Heaven is a place of bliss; Lethe is the

river of forgetfulness.river of forgetfulness.

Similar Locations/PeopleSimilar Locations/People Wall of Dis is equivalent to the Walls of Wall of Dis is equivalent to the Walls of

TartarusTartarus Charon – place him on the Acheron as in Charon – place him on the Acheron as in

Greek MythologyGreek Mythology Minos – place him right after Limbo at the Minos – place him right after Limbo at the

entrance to hell proper.entrance to hell proper.

William Blake – Dante’s Inferno William Blake – Dante’s Inferno PityPity

The MinotaurThe Minotaur

The Sistine Chapel – The Sistine Chapel – Last JudgmentLast Judgment

William Blake – Dante’s Inferno William Blake – Dante’s Inferno Whirlwind of LoversWhirlwind of Lovers

Circle 1 – Good PagansCircle 1 – Good Pagans Cross the River Acheron and come Cross the River Acheron and come

to Circle 1.to Circle 1. Here are the good pagans – people Here are the good pagans – people

who lived good lives before the who lived good lives before the birth of Christ. They suffer no birth of Christ. They suffer no physical punishment, but a spiritual physical punishment, but a spiritual one: since they did not know God one: since they did not know God on earth, now they are forever on earth, now they are forever deprived of the sight of Him.deprived of the sight of Him.

Circle 2 – Carnal SinnersCircle 2 – Carnal Sinners People who sinned through People who sinned through

passion…passion… ……the illicit lovers…the unfaithful the illicit lovers…the unfaithful

husbands and wives. husbands and wives. Their punishment, of course, fits Their punishment, of course, fits

their crime: as they permitted their crime: as they permitted themselves to be tossed by the themselves to be tossed by the storms of passion on earth, as now storms of passion on earth, as now in hell in hell they are tossed forever by they are tossed forever by actual winds and gales.actual winds and gales.

Circle 3 – Gluttonous SinnersCircle 3 – Gluttonous Sinners

Here they wallow in mud and Here they wallow in mud and dirty slush. dirty slush.

As they enjoyed eating on earth, As they enjoyed eating on earth, now they are eaten by Cerebus, now they are eaten by Cerebus, a horrible three-headed dog.a horrible three-headed dog. As As they enjoyed delicacies on earth, they enjoyed delicacies on earth, now they live in the indelicate – now they live in the indelicate – in the muck!in the muck!

Circle 4 – Hoarders and Circle 4 – Hoarders and wasters.wasters.

In life they worked without In life they worked without meaning; now they work without meaning; now they work without meaning in death, meaning in death, pushing Huge pushing Huge boulders against each other.boulders against each other.

What Greek Titan would you find What Greek Titan would you find here?here?

Fifth Circle – The Wrathful and Fifth Circle – The Wrathful and the Sullen the Sullen

The angry, who hit each other on The angry, who hit each other on earth, and earth, and now spend eternity hitting now spend eternity hitting each other;each other; and of the sullen who and of the sullen who sulked on earth and sulked on earth and now sulk beneath now sulk beneath soft, bubbling mud.soft, bubbling mud.

This is the End of Upper Hell!This is the End of Upper Hell!

Next follow the heinous Next follow the heinous evil crimes!evil crimes!

Lower HellLower Hell

Circle 6 - HereticsCircle 6 - Heretics People who deliberately rejected the People who deliberately rejected the

teachings of their religion. teachings of their religion. They lie in They lie in burning tombs and on Judgment Day, burning tombs and on Judgment Day, the lids will be nailed down forever.the lids will be nailed down forever. As As they chose to conceal themselves from they chose to conceal themselves from God, so they will forever be concealed God, so they will forever be concealed from Him and all beings.from Him and all beings.

Circle 7 – Domain of the ViolentCircle 7 – Domain of the Violent Murders Murders - Violence against - Violence against

neighbors: neighbors: they are simmering in a they are simmering in a river of boiling blood.river of boiling blood.

SuicidesSuicides – Violence against – Violence against themselves: themselves: changed into trees changed into trees since they rejected their human since they rejected their human formform

BlasphemersBlasphemers, sodomites, usurers – , sodomites, usurers – Violence against God, Nature, Art:Violence against God, Nature, Art:

Lying on a steaming sterile desert, Lying on a steaming sterile desert, bather in a constant rain of fire.bather in a constant rain of fire.

Circle 8 – Guilty of FraudCircle 8 – Guilty of Fraud10 Sections or bolgias (ditches)10 Sections or bolgias (ditches)

1) Seducers and panderers1) Seducers and panderers 2) Flatters2) Flatters 3) Simoniacs3) Simoniacs 4) Fortune-tellers – heads on backwards4) Fortune-tellers – heads on backwards 5) Grafters and swindlers5) Grafters and swindlers 6) Hypocrites6) Hypocrites 7) Thieves – body stolen by reptiles7) Thieves – body stolen by reptiles 8) Evil counselors8) Evil counselors 9) Sower of discord 9) Sower of discord 10) Falsifiers - body disfigured as lies10) Falsifiers - body disfigured as lies

Circle 9 – TreasonCircle 9 – Treason Sinners are ranked according Sinners are ranked according

to their guiltto their guilt 1) Treasonous against kin (family)1) Treasonous against kin (family) 2) Treasonous against country2) Treasonous against country 3) Treasonous against guests/hosts3) Treasonous against guests/hosts 4) Treasonous against their 4) Treasonous against their

mastersmasters Punishment: All are encased in ICE Punishment: All are encased in ICE

as their cold hearts suggest they as their cold hearts suggest they should be. should be.

At the very Pit of Hell!At the very Pit of Hell!

JudasJudas Betrays JesusBetrays Jesus BrutusBrutus Betrays CaesarBetrays Caesar Cassius Betrays CaesarCassius Betrays Caesar They are in the three mouths of They are in the three mouths of

Satan himself, being devoured and Satan himself, being devoured and chewed and ravaged throughout chewed and ravaged throughout eternity!eternity!

All three men committed suicide.All three men committed suicide.

What is Dante’s Value System?What is Dante’s Value System?

Sins of the flesh?Sins of the flesh? Sins of violence?Sins of violence? Sins of fraud?Sins of fraud? In your hell you may not think In your hell you may not think

Gluttony is a sin at all.Gluttony is a sin at all. CREATE YOUR OWN HELLCREATE YOUR OWN HELL Identify the sin and create the Identify the sin and create the

punishmentpunishment