is dantes inferno the same as the divine comedy

The Inferno (Italian for “Hell”) is the first part of Dante’s 14th century poetic epic trilogy, The Divine Comedy, which is comprised of Inferno, Purgatorio and Paradiso

. It is a symbolic journey through the medieval concept of Hell; and Dante describes hell as nine circles of suffering located within the Earth.

Full Answer

Is Dante Inferno based on a true story?

Inferno by Dante film is the first slate of the trilogy based on the true story of Dante Alighieri's masterpiece trilogy - The Divine Comedy Gotimna Pictures, LLC and Dante Coin present Inferno by Dante - a film produced and directed by Boris Acosta.

Why does Dante go into the Inferno?

Virgil suggests that Dante is just feeling afraid and reassures Dante by telling him that he has been sent by Dante's deceased beloved, Beatrice, who resides in heaven. Dante does find this reassuring, and they proceed toward the entrance to the underworld.

What is the plot of the Dante's 'Inferno'?

Dante's Inferno Summary At the poem's beginning, Dante is lost in a dark wood, both literally and spiritually. ... Dante and Virgil enter hell and explore its nine circles, observing the punishments suffered by the various categories of sinners. At the bottom of the Ninth Circle, Dante and Virgil encounter Lucifer. ...

What are the main ideas in Dante's Inferno?

• Sin, Justice, Pity and Piety. As it narrates a journey through hell, Dante's Inferno is essentially a tour of all kinds of different punishments for different sins.
• Paganism vs. Christianity. Dante's epic poem is obviously a deeply Christian work. ...
• This World vs. the Afterlife. ...

Is the Divine Comedy and the Inferno the same thing?

The Divine Comedy is divided into three books of equal length: Inferno, Purgatorio, Paradiso. Each book is made up of 33 rhymed sections called cantos, with an additional introductory canto for the Inferno.

Is Dante's Inferno also called The Divine Comedy?

So warns the inscription on the gates of the inferno, the first realm of Dante Alighieri's celebrated work, now known as the Divine Comedy. “La Commedia”, as Dante originally named it, is an imaginary journey through the three realms of the afterlife: inferno (hell), purgatorio (purgatory) and paradiso (heaven).

Why is Dante's poem Divine Comedy called a comedy?

Dante chose to call his poem a comedy (commedia in Italian) because it ends happily. The poem follows a pilgrim who journeys through the afterlife to salvation and a vision of God under the guidance of the souls of the Roman poet Virgil, Dante's literary model, and his beloved Beatrice.

Is Divine Comedy all 3 books?

Divine Comedy: All 3 Books in One Edition - Inferno, Purgatorio & Paradiso.

Is The Divine Comedy hard to read?

It's definitely a challenge, but like most other people have been saying in this thread it's good to know your stuff on Greco-Roman mythology and Christian theology. I'd recommend really taking your time as well, it makes the journey much more pleasant if you're not trying to get through a lot at one time.

In what order should I read The Divine Comedy?

Contents1.1 Inferno.1.2 Purgatorio.1.3 Paradiso.

What is the main point of Dante's Inferno?

The Divine Comedy is the allegorical record of Dante's quest to overcome sin and find God's love; in Inferno, Dante explores the nature of sin by traveling through Hell, where evil receives punishment according to God's justice.

Why is Dante's Inferno so important?

Dante and the Divine Comedy have had a profound influence on the production of literature and the practice of literary criticism across the Western world since the moment the Comedy was first read.

What is the main idea of The Divine Comedy?

The main theme of The Divine Comedy is the spiritual journey of man through life. In this journey he learns about the nature of sin and its consequences. And comes to abhor it (sin) after understanding its nature and how it corrupts the soul and draws man away from God.

Is The Divine Comedy a trilogy?

The Divine Comedy Trilogy: The Inferno, Purgatory, Paradise Plus a Life of Dante Audio CD – Audiobook, October 1, 2001. Find all the books, read about the author, and more.

How many Dante Inferno books are there?

Three BooksThe Three Books of Dante's Divine Comedy: Inferno; Purgatorio and Paradiso (3 volumes) Paperback – January 1, 1984.

Is The Divine Comedy a love story?

Inferno, the first of three books of Dante Alighieri's epic 14th century poem The Divine Comedy, in which a fictionalized Dante passes through Hell, Purgatory, and finally Heaven, isn't really a romance.

For what is Dante's Divine Comedy best known?

Dante, in full Dante Alighieri, (born c. May 21–June 20, 1265, Florence [Italy]—died September 13/14, 1321, Ravenna), Italian poet, prose writer, literary theorist, moral philosopher, and political thinker. He is best known for the monumental epic poem La commedia, later named La divina commedia (The Divine Comedy).

What titles are part of the Divine Comedy?

Divided into three major sections—Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso—the narrative traces the journey of Dante from darkness and error to the revelation of the divine light, culminating in the Beatific Vision of God.

What is the main idea of the Divine Comedy?

The main theme of The Divine Comedy is the spiritual journey of man through life. In this journey he learns about the nature of sin and its consequences. And comes to abhor it (sin) after understanding its nature and how it corrupts the soul and draws man away from God.

Who wrote Dante's Divine Comedy?

Dante AlighieriPurgatorio / AuthorDante Alighieri, probably baptized Durante di Alighiero degli Alighieri and often referred to simply as Dante, was an Italian poet, writer and philosopher. Wikipedia

Why did Dante write the Divine Comedy?

It was to convey the need for spiritual renewal in the church and in the world, and especially in himself, that Dante wrote the “Divine Comedy.”. To understand the “Divine Comedy,” it is important at least to understand, if not to read, Dante’s earlier work, “La Vita Nuova” (“The New Life”). In this brief but important book, Dante recounts his ...

What is the name of the beast in Dante's Inferno?

Dante begins the “Inferno” by describing himself as “lost in a dark wood.”. He is terrified and tormented by the threat of three beasts — a lion, a leopard and a she-wolf. Scholars have debated the nature of the three beasts, but almost all would agree that they represent various types of sin (the world, the flesh and the devil, ...

What is the kind of love Dante represents?

To Dante the pilgrim, and to the reader, their situation is deeply tragic, but the kind of love they represent is something that Dante the poet is teaching the reader (and perhaps himself) to reject.

Why did Beatrice send Dante to hell?

He tells Dante he has been sent (by the spirit of Beatrice, who came to Virgil in the part of hell where the virtuous pagans live without punishment but also without God) to help him to avoid damnation and experience salvation.

What does Dante learn from the poem?

As the poem goes on, and the sins (and sinners) become uglier and even grotesque, Dante the pilgrim learns to reject sin in them and, most important, in himself.

What is the tradition of Dante?

In this brief but important book, Dante recounts his beginnings as a love poet, in the tradition of courtly love, which was extremely popular at the time. In simplified terms, this tradition involved devotion, almost adoration, of a lady, usually from afar, in which she was spoken of in religious terminology, at times, ...

What was Dante's first work?

The first poet to write a major work in the vernacular, Dante was part of a movement called “the new style.”. It was a time of change, in the world and in the church. St. Francis had died only 39 years before Dante’s birth in 1226, and the movement of Friars Minors and Poor Clares (the women’s order, started by St.

What does Dante describe in the Divine Comedy?

In the other two parts of The Divine Comedy, Dante imagines various levels of hell and heaven. He describes the Inferno in great detail, vividly describing the torments and agonies of hell; these descriptions, however, do not come from the Bible. Some come from Islamic tradition.

What is the difference between Dante's poem and the Bible?

In Dante’s poem, the Roman poet Virgil guides Dante through the seven terraces of Purgatory. These correspond to the seven deadly sins, with each terrace purging a particular sin until the sinner has corrected the nature within himself that caused him to commit that sin. After the sinner has been “purged” of all sin, he is enabled to proceed at some point to heaven. Aside from the fact that Purgatory is an unbiblical doctrine, the idea that sinners have another chance for salvation after death is in direct contradiction to the Bible. Scripture is clear that we are to “seek the Lord while He may be found” ( Isaiah 55:6) and that once we die, we are destined to judgment ( Hebrews 9:27 ). Judgment is based on our earthly lives, not on anything we do after we die. There will be no second chance for salvation beyond this life. As long as a person is alive, he has a second, third, fourth, fifth, etc., chance to accept Christ and be saved ( John 3:16; Romans 10:9–10; Acts 16:31 ). Furthermore, the idea that a sinner can “correct” his own nature, either before or after death, is contrary to biblical revelation, which says that only Christ can overcome the sin nature and impart to believers a completely new nature ( 2 Corinthians 5:17 ).

What is the first person Dante wrote?

The poem is written in the first person as Dante describes his imaginative journey through the three realms of the dead: Inferno (hell); Purgatorio (Purgatory); and Paradiso (heaven). The philosophy of the poem is a mixture of the Bible, Roman Catholicism, mythology, and medieval tradition. Where Dante draws on his knowledge ...

How many terraces of purgatory did Dante go through?

In Dante’s poem, the Roman poet Virgil guides Dante through the seven terraces of Purgatory. These correspond to the seven deadly sins, with each terrace purging a particular sin until the sinner has corrected the nature within himself that caused him to commit that sin.

How many spheres does Dante have?

Here Dante is guided through nine spheres, again in a concentric pattern, each level coming closer to the presence of God. Dante’s heaven is depicted as having souls in a hierarchy of spiritual development, based at least in part on their human ability to love God.

What punishments did Dante use?

Dante’s vision of hell involved such eternal punishments as souls tormented by biting insects, w allowing in mire, immersed in boiling blood, being lashed with whips. Lesser punishments involve having heads on backwards, chasing unreachable goals for eternity, and walking endlessly in circles.

Where does Dante draw on his knowledge of the Bible?

One extra-biblical source Dante drew upon was Islamic tradition ( Hadiths) as depicted in Muhammed’s “Night Journey.”.

What is Dante's idea of Hell?

And, setting the stage for the Renaissance and its rebirth of Classical learning, Dante’s idea of Hell draws from Aristotle’s view that reason is the most important thing in life – which would be the later idea in Protestantism that an individual’s reason is their path to salvation.

What did Dante write in the Vernacular?

Writing in the vernacular, and helping to create a new vernacular for much of Italy, allowed Dante’s ideas to take wide root – and helped set the stage for the intellectual revolutions to come in the Renaissance, Reformation and Enlightenment.

What was the language of the Renaissance?

Florentine Tuscan became the lingua franca of Italy as a result of The Divine Comedy, helping to establish Florence as the creative hub of the Renaissance. It also became the language in which Dante’s literary descendants Boccaccio and Petrarch would write – eventually just known as Italian.

What language did Dante write in?

Writing in the Florentine dialect of the Tuscan language could have limited the appeal of The Divine Comedy. But the work proved so popular, so endlessly read, that the literate in Italy adapted themselves to, or strained to learn, Florentine Tuscan in order to appreciate it in Dante’s own tongue.

What is Dante's bias?

Dante’s biases inform much about how we see Hell, Purgatory and Heaven.

What was Dante's vision of the afterlife?

Dante’s vision of the Afterlife in The Divine Comedy influenced the Renaissance, the Reformation and helped give us the modern world, writes Christian Blauvelt. “All hope abandon ye who enter here.”.

Who wrote the Divine Comedy?

But it’s just one line of the 14,233 that make up The Divine Comedy, the three-part epic poem published in 1320 by Florentine bureaucrat turned visionary storyteller Dante Alighieri. Literary ambition seems to have been with Dante, born in 1265, from early in life when he wished to become a pharmacist.

What is the first part of Dante's Divine Comedy?

First part of Dante's Divine Comedy. "Dante's Inferno" redirects here. For other uses, see Dante's Inferno (disambiguation). Canto I from the Inferno, the first part of the Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri. v.

Who did Dante see in the book?

Dante next encounters a group of philosophers, including Aristotle with Socrates and Plato at his side, as well as Democritus, "Diogenes" (either Diogenes the Cynic or Diogenes of Apollonia ), Anaxagoras, Thales, Empedocles, Heraclitus, and "Zeno" (either Zeno of Elea or Zeno of Citium ). He sees the scientist Dioscorides, the mythical Greek poets Orpheus and Linus, and Roman statesmen Marcus Tullius Cicero and Seneca. Dante sees the Alexandrian geometer Euclid and Ptolemy, the Alexandrian astronomer and geographer, as well as the physicians Hippocrates and Galen. He also encounters Avicenna, a Persian polymath, and Averroes, a medieval Andalusian polymath known for his commentaries on Aristotle's works. Dante and Virgil depart from the four other poets and continue their journey.

What is the name of the circle in Canto IV?

Canto IV#N#Dante wakes up to find that he has crossed the Acheron, and Virgil leads him to the first circle of the abyss, Limbo, where Virgil himself resides. The first circle contains the unbaptized and the virtuous pagans, who, although not sinful enough to warrant damnation, did not accept Christ. Dorothy L. Sayers writes, "After those who refused choice come those without opportunity of choice. They could not, that is, choose Christ; they could, and did, choose human virtue, and for that they have their reward." Limbo shares many characteristics with the Asphodel Meadows, and thus, the guiltless damned are punished by living in a deficient form of Heaven. Without baptism ("the portal of the faith that you embrace") they lacked the hope for something greater than rational minds can conceive. When Dante asked if anyone has ever left Limbo, Virgil states that he saw Jesus ("a Mighty One") descend into Limbo and take Adam, Abel, Noah, Moses, Abraham, David, and Rachel (see Limbo of the Patriarchs) into his all-forgiving arms and transport them to Heaven as the first human souls to be saved. The event, known as the Harrowing of Hell, would have occurred in AD 33 or 34.

What are the nine circles of Hell?

Virgil proceeds to guide Dante through the nine circles of Hell. The circles are concentric, representing a gradual increase in wickedness, and culminating at the centre of the earth, where Satan is held in bondage. The sinners of each circle are punished for eternity in a fashion fitting their crimes: each punishment is a contrapasso, a symbolic instance of poetic justice. For example, later in the poem, Dante and Virgil encounter fortune-tellers who must walk forward with their heads on backward, unable to see what is ahead, because they tried to see the future through forbidden means. Such a contrapasso "functions not merely as a form of divine revenge, but rather as the fulfilment of a destiny freely chosen by each soul during his or her life". People who sinned, but prayed for forgiveness before their deaths are found not in Hell but in Purgatory, where they labour to become free of their sins. Those in Hell are people who tried to justify their sins and are unrepentant.

How many circles does Dante have in Hell?

As a Christian, Dante adds Circle 1 (Limbo) to Upper Hell and Circle 6 (Heresy) to Lower Hell, making 9 Circles in total; incorporating the Vestibule of the Futile, this leads to Hell containing 10 main divisions. This "9+1=10" structure is also found within the Purgatorio and Paradiso.

Where do Canto V#N#Dante and Virgil enter the second circle?

Canto V#N#Dante and Virgil leave Limbo and enter the Second Circle – the first of the circles of Incontinence – where the punishments of Hell proper begin. It is described as "a part where no thing gleams". They find their way hindered by the serpentine Minos, who judges all of those condemned for active, deliberately willed sin to one of the lower circles. Minos sentences each soul to its torment by wrapping his tail around himself a corresponding number of times. Virgil rebukes Minos, and he and Dante continue on.

What does Dante say about the gate of hell?

Dante passes through the gate of Hell, which bears an inscription ending with the famous phrase " Lasciate ogne speranza, voi ch'intrate ", most frequently translated as "Abandon all hope, ye who enter here." Dante and his guide hear the anguished screams of the Uncommitted. These are the souls of people who in life took no sides; the opportunists who were for neither good nor evil, but instead were merely concerned with themselves. Among these Dante recognizes a figure implied to be Pope Celestine V, whose "cowardice (in selfish terror for his own welfare) served as the door through which so much evil entered the Church". Mixed with them are outcasts who took no side in the Rebellion of Angels. These souls are forever unclassified; they are neither in Hell nor out of it, but reside on the shores of the Acheron. Naked and futile, they race around through the mist in eternal pursuit of an elusive, wavering banner (symbolic of their pursuit of ever-shifting self-interest) while relentlessly chased by swarms of wasps and hornets, who continually sting them. Loathsome maggots and worms at the sinners' feet drink the putrid mixture of blood, pus, and tears that flows down their bodies. This symbolizes the sting of their guilty conscience and the repugnance of sin. This may also be seen as a reflection of the spiritual stagnation in which they lived.

What are the parts of Dante's Inferno?

It is divided into three parts: Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso . The narrative takes as its literal subject the state of the soul after death and presents an image of divine justice meted out as due punishment or reward, and describes Dante's travels through Hell, Purgatory , and Paradise or Heaven.

Why was Dante's poem called "Comedy"?

Dante called the poem "Comedy" (the adjective "Divine" was added later, in the 16th century) because poems in the ancient world were classified as High ("Tragedy") or Low ("Comedy").

How many lines are there in the Divine Comedy?

The Divine Comedy is composed of 14,233 lines that are divided into three cantiche (singular cantica ) – Inferno ( Hell ), Purgatorio ( Purgatory ), and Paradiso ( Paradise ) – each consisting of 33 cantos (Italian plural canti ). An initial canto, serving as an introduction to the poem and generally considered to be part of the first cantica, brings the total number of cantos to 100. It is generally accepted, however, that the first two cantos serve as a unitary prologue to the entire epic, and that the opening two cantos of each cantica serve as prologues to each of the three cantiche.

What is the last word in each of the three cantiches?

The last word in each of the three cantiche is stelle ("stars").

What is the theme of love in the Divine Comedy?

However, Dante's illustrative examples of sin and virtue draw on classical sources as well as on the Bible and on contemporary events. Love, a theme throughout the Divine Comedy, is particularly important for the framing of sin on the Mountain of Purgatory.

Who was Dante in the Guelphs?

In central Italy's political struggle between Guelphs and Ghibellines, Dante was part of the Guelphs, who in general favored the Papacy over the Holy Roman Emperor. Florence's Guelphs split into factions around 1300 – the White Guelphs and the Black Guelphs. 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 Pope Boniface VIII, who supported the Black Guelphs. 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.

Who are the three guides in Dante's poem?

In the poem, the pilgrim Dante is accompanied by three guides: Virgil (who represents human reason, and who guides him for all of Inferno and most of Purgatorio ); Beatrice (who represents divine revelation, theology, faith, and grace, guiding him at the end of Purgatorio and for most of Paradiso ); and Saint Bernard of Clairvaux (who represents contemplative mysticism and devotion to Mary the Mother, guiding him in the final cantos of Paradiso ). Erich Auerbach said Dante was the first writer to depict human beings as the products of a specific time, place and circumstance as opposed to mythic archetypes or a collection of vices and virtues; this along with the fully imagined world of the Divine Comedy, different from our own but fully visualized, suggests that the Divine Comedy could be said to have inaugurated realism and self-portraiture in modern fiction.

Why did Dante write Commedia?

The reason why he started writing was that he wanted to explain in poetry how it feels to be kicked out of your own home and lose your family and all your possessions. He must have felt incredibly lonely and lost during those months, when he was wondering about Tuscany and Veneto, accepting the help that his friends and contacts could provide him with. He eventually found a good position in the society of his time, but critics have no doubt that it must have been hard for a man like him to lose his freedom, his financial independence and to never be able to go back home again.

What was literature before the Renaissance?

A bit of backstory: before the Renaissance, there weren’t any clear lines between what constituted literature and what was philosophy, theology, natural sciences et cetera: literature was simply the instrumentum, the means, to convey the message, usually a moral thesis of some sorts. And the style of the work varied based on what was conveyed in it.

Is Dante's Inferno a work of literature?

But still a work of literature and, since it’s a work of literature, the Church does not officially comment on it, one way or another.

Is Dante's Divine Comedy theology?

Dante’s “Divine Comedy” is not theology, nor is it Church teaching. But it is the finest portrayal in existence of the medieval mind, one steeped in the religion, philosophy, and theology of the day, but also the politics of the day. It is also one of the greatest and most beautiful poems ever composed.

Is Divine Comedy an oxymoron?

So as you see, Divine Comedy is an oxymoron, because the subject matter is quite elevated, but, since the target audience is anyone who’s able to read, the style is low/comedic. This was quite revolutionary, in the 1300!

Is the Inferno a comedy?

Remember, the Inferno is only one in a series, all together are called Dante Alighieri's (Divine) Comedy. Until recently, stories were either a “comedy” or a “tragedy” because a story would either end on a good (happy) note or bad (sad) one. Since Dante Alighieri's story ends on a good note, it is a comedy.