The Midlife Crisis In Dante's Inferno '

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Inferno (Cantos I—VII) Bartleby.com Dante’s Inferno provides the reader with a very powerful introduction that seems to immediately grab the reader’s attention. When Dante says “In the midway of this our mortal life,/I found me in a gloomy wood, astray/Gone from the path direct…” (Canto I, lines 1-3), I believe that Dante was trying to discuss the challenges that we all face throughout our lives. In fact, much of what this quote seems to say reflects the idea of the midlife crisis that many adults experience today. However, as I read on in Canto I, I realized that this quote is specifically referring to the uncertainty of our lives once we die. Dante seems to be addressing a question many of us have, which is what should we do in order to end up in Heaven. In an effort…show more content…
For instance, the very beginning of Hell is reserved for those who according to Virgil “…lived/ Without or praise or blame,” (Canto III, lines 34-35) “Nor yet were true to God, but for themselves” (Canto III, line 37). This area of Hell, while not oppressive, serves as a place for those who failed to make their own choices in their lives. Virgil and Dante then move on to the different circles of Hell. The First Circle of Hell, limbo, seems to be for those who have not received baptism. The Inferno refers to these people as “…lost;/Only so far afflicted, that [they] live/Desiring without hope” (Canto IV, lines 37-39). Next, the Second Circle of Hell is for the lustful who have committed adultery and the Third Circle of Hell is for the gluttonous who cannot stop eating such as Cerberus who “…yelling bays for food/His keeper, when the morsel comes, lets fall/His fury, bent alone with eager haste/To swallow it…” (Canto VI, lines 27-30). The Fourth Circle of Hell is for the greedy and people who either save their money or spend it carelessly, which surprisingly includes priests. Lastly, the Fifth Circle of Hell is for the angry found on the surface
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