Dante's Inferno Essay

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Bruno Hitti In class essay Dante's hell as a literary place rather than a theological one It is clear that Hell in Dante's Inferno not only acts as a central theme of the text, but also plays a crucial role in setting the atmosphere and dictating the tone of the narrative. Multiple factors come into account in the structuring of hell which gives it a "textual feel" which includes the Setting And creation of a physical and mental Dimension through the inspiration of other texts, the use of imageries such as symbolism and themes as well as the recurrence of certain characters. Indeed, Dante's inferno is widely considered as one of the most brilliant work of allegory, written in the first person, which revolves around the journey of Dante…show more content…
The bible is considered to be at the forefront of this inspiration yet one should not mistake Dante's work as being a theological piece, but rather a literary one. This explains why many contradictions are present between the two texts. Dante's version of hell is brought to life in the description of the torments which a sinner must endure. These punishments include boiling blood, whipping of souls, and other mythological inspirations such as man eating insects. It must also be noted that Dante took moderate inspiration from other religious texts such as the Hadith. What makes Dante's interpretation of hell so interesting is how he gives it his own touch through his narrative style. In Dante's hell, crimes are punished, yet not for the damages caused but for the act itself. This is a radically different view then the bible's "An eye for an eye" which punishes the results of the crime. What sets Dante's hell apart from the traditional theological view, and puts it closer to a literary conception is the notion and concept of hell itself. Indeed, a traditional scholar would have considered hell as the justice of God and the banishment of unwanted souls. Dante take a different approach and gives it a more poetic meaning. Souls in hell are considered to be the "lost people" and have just taken the ultimate wrong path, straying from the

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