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by Francesco di ser Nardo da Barberino, showing the beginning of Dante's ''Comedy''.]] For other uses see The Divine Comedy (disambiguation) , Dante's Inferno (disambiguation) , and The Inferno (disambiguation) ''The Divine Comedy'' (, later christened "'''''Divina'''''" by Giovanni Boccaccio ), written by Dante Alighieri between 1308 and his death in 1321 , is widely considered the central Epic Poem of Italian Literature , and is seen as one of the greatest works of World Literature . A culmination of the medieval world-view of the Afterlife , it helped establish the Tuscan Dialect in which it is written as the Italian standard. STRUCTURE AND STORY shown holding a copy of ''The Divine Comedy'', next to the entrance to Hell, the seven terraces of Mount Purgatory and the city of Florence, with the spheres of Heaven above, in Michelino 's fresco.]] ''The Divine Comedy'' is composed of three '', bringing the total number of cantos to 100. The number 3 is prominent in the work, represented here by the length of each ''cantica''. The verse scheme used, '' Terza Rima '', is the Hendecasyllable (line of eleven syllables), with the lines composing Tercet s according to the Rhyme Scheme ABA BCB CDC . . . YZY Z. The poet tells in the first person his travel through the three realms of the dead, lasting during the Easter Triduum in the spring of 1300 . The Roman poet Virgil guides him through Hell and Purgatory; Beatrice , Dante's ideal woman, guides him through Heaven. Beatrice was a real Florentine woman whom he met in childhood and admired from afar in the mode of the then-fashionable Courtly Love tradition which is highlighted in Dante's earlier work '' La Vita Nuova ''. In Northern Italy's political struggle between and who wished to preserve Florence's independence, and the Black Guelphs, who favored the Pope's control of Florence. Dante was among the White Guelphs who were exiled in 1302 by the Lord-Mayor Cante de' Gabrielli di Gubbio , after troops under Charles Of Valois entered the city, at the request of Boniface and in alliance with the Blacks. The Pope said if he had returned he would be burned at the stake. This exile, which lasted the rest of Dante's life, shows its influence in many parts of the Comedy, from prophecies of Dante's exile to Dante's views of politics to the eternal damnation of some of his opponents. In Hell and Purgatory , Dante shares in the Sin and the penitence respectively. The last word in each of the three parts of The Divine Comedy is "stars." engravings illustrated ''The Divine Comedy'' (1861-1868), here Dante is lost in Canto 1.]] ''Inferno'' The poem begins on —as "wood" is figured in Canto XIII, and also the mention of suicide is made in Canto I of ''Purgatorio'' with "This man has not yet seen his last evening; But, through his madness, was so close to it, That there was hardly time to turn about" implying that when Virgil came to him he was on the verge of suicide or morally passing the point of no return), assailed by beasts (a Lion , a Leopard , and a She-wolf ; allegorical depictions of temptations towards sin) he cannot evade, and unable to find the "straight way" (''diritta via'') to salvation (symbolized by the sun behind the mountain). Conscious that he is ruining himself, that he is falling into a "deep place" (''basso loco'') where the sun is silent ('''l sol tace''), Dante is at last rescued by Virgil after his love Beatrice intercedes on his behalf (Canto II), and he and Virgil begin their journey to the underworld. Dante passes through the gate of hell, on which is inscribed the famous phrase "''Lasciate ogne speranza, voi ch'intrate''", or "Abandon all hope, ye who enter here"There are many English translations of this famous line. Some examples include
Before entering Hell completely, Dante and his guide see the Opportunists, souls of people who in life did nothing, neither for good nor evil (among these Dante recognizes either Pope Celestine V , or Pontius Pilate ; the text is ambiguous). Mixed with them are the outcasts, who took no side in the Rebellion Of Angels . These souls are neither in Hell nor out of it, but reside on the shores of the Acheron , their punishment to eternally pursue a banner, and be pursued by Wasp s and Hornet s that continually sting them while Maggot s and other such insects drink their blood and tears. This symbolizes the sting of their Conscience and the repugnance of sin. ]] Then Dante and Virgil reach the ferry that will take them across the river Acheron and to Hell proper. The ferry is piloted by Charon , who does not want to let Dante enter, for he is a living being. Virgil forces Charon to take them, but their passage across is undescribed since Dante faints and does not awake until he is on the other side. The Circles of Hell Virgil guides Dante through the nine circles of Hell. The circles are concentric, each new one representing further and further evil, culminating in the center of the earth, where , but those in hell justify their sin and are unrepentant. Furthermore, those in hell have knowledge of the past and future, but not of the present. This is a joke on them in Dante's mind because after the Final Judgment , time ends; those in hell would then know nothing. The nine circles are: 's ''Chart of Hell'' c. 1490 ]]
Beyond the first circle, all of those condemned for active, deliberately willed sin are judged by Minos , who sentences each soul to one of the lower eight circles. These are structured according to the classical (Aristotelian) conception of virtue and vice, so that they are grouped into the sins of incontinence, violence, and fraud (which for many commentators are represented by the leopard, lion, and she-wolfThere is no general agreement on which animals represent the sins incontinence, violence, and fraud. Some see it as the she-wolf, lion, and leopard respectively, while others see it as the leopard, lion, and she-wolf respectively.). The sins of incontinence — weakness in controlling one's desires and natural urges — are the mildest among them, and, correspondingly, appear first: |
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