What is Dante’s Inferno?
Adam Burgess, Ph.D. is a university professor, literary reviewer, and expert in American and classical literature and criticism. Dante’s "Inferno" is the first part of his three-part epic poem " The Divine Comedy ," written in the 14 th century and considered one of the world’s great works of literature.
What is the first part of the Inferno about?
Inferno ( pronounced [iɱˈfɛrno]; Italian for "Hell") is the first part of Italian writer Dante Alighieri 's 14th-century epic poem Divine Comedy. It is followed by Purgatorio and Paradiso. The Inferno tells the journey of Dante through Hell, guided by the ancient Roman poet Virgil.
What kind of poem is Inferno?
Inferno is an epic poem by Dante Alighieri that was first published in 1321. Read key facts, a plot summary, and important quotes . Read our full plot summary and analysis of Inferno, chapter by chapter breakdowns, and more. See a complete list of the characters in Inferno, as well as in-depth analyses of Dante Alighieri and Virgil.
What was the original protest for Dante's Inferno?
Prior to Dante's Inferno's release, in June 2009, a protest began during E3 2009 in Los Angeles to oppose the game. Around 20 protesters, claiming to be from a church in Ventura County, held up signs that called the game sacrilegious and labeled it possibly insensitive to people's beliefs.
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What year does Dante Inferno take place?
1300The World of Dante. Dante's Inferno, widely hailed as one of the great classics of Western literature, details Dante's journey through the nine circles of Hell. The voyage begins during Easter week in the year 1300, the descent through Hell starting on Good Friday.
When was Dante Inferno written?
1320Divine Comedy / Date written
Where did Dante's Inferno take place?
medieval ItalyDante's Inferno is set both in medieval Italy and in an imaginary, intricate version of Hell designed to warn against sin and encourage readers to have faith in God.
Why did Dante write the Inferno?
Dante began writing the Divine Comedy only after his expulsion from Florence, and it is as much an attempt to make sense of his estrangement from home (and his anger over the situation) as it is a spiritual journey to understand God. “Dante is lost in a dark wood, which signifies the errancy of his soul.
Is Dante's Inferno Based on a true story?
Brown's novels have drawn both praise and criticism for incorporating real life organizations and events into their storylines, blurring the line between fiction and reality, and Inferno looks to do the same. And even though Inferno isn't a true story, that doesn't mean that there isn't some truth to the tale.
Who is Covid in Dante's Inferno?
Ovid survives as the author of the Metamorphoses and his inspiration is apparent in every canticle of the Commedia. In the Inferno he is recognized as the poet of transformations.
What are the 7 levels of Dante's Inferno?
More severe sins are punished in the lower circles of hell and a corresponding punishment is inflicted for each:Circle two - lust.Circle three - gluttony.Circle four - greed.Circle five - wrath.Circle six - heresy.Circle seven - violence.Circle eight - fraud.Circle nine - treachery.
Why is Dante's Inferno so important?
Dante's poem, The Divine Comedy, is one of the most important works of medieval literature. An imaginary journey through Hell, Purgatory and Paradise, the work explores ideas of the afterlife in medieval Christian belief.
What is Dante's religion?
Dante believed that Jesus established the Catholic Church, and he accepted papal authority as divinely ordained.
What does 3 symbolize in Dante's Inferno?
The number three also relates to sin. The three main types of sin are incontinence, violence, and fraud. A final example of Dante's use of the number three is the specific lines of poetry Dante used for his epic work.
Who is the hero in Dante's Inferno?
In Dante's Inferno, the hero of the story is Dante. Dante, the character, is a man who was exiled from his home because of his political beliefs and struggles with the choice between good and evil. His heroism comes in the form of humanity; he faces the challenge that all humans struggle with.
What was Dante's sin in Dante's Inferno?
Dante's so-called sin of Pride found in the Inferno, purged in Purgatorio, reappears prominently in Paradiso. He feels deserving of a “laurel crown.” Far from cured, Dante is still brimming with Pride. Both confessions, to Lust and Pride, were likely insincere.
When was the inferno first published?
First complete edition in English of the Divine Comedy, and the first publication in English of the Purgatorio and the Paradiso; the Inferno here marking its fourth publication in English, following the first edition of 1782, and Dublin and London editions by Boyd in 1785.
In what century did Dante write the inferno?
14th-centuryInferno (Italian: [iɱˈfɛrno]; Italian for "Hell") is the first part of Italian writer Dante Alighieri's 14th-century epic poem Divine Comedy. It is followed by Purgatorio and Paradiso. The Inferno describes Dante's journey through Hell, guided by the ancient Roman poet Virgil.
Is Dante's Inferno related to the Bible?
Dante's Inferno is an undeniably Christian text, as it catalogs various types of earthly sinners and describes the torments they experience in hell. The poem is the first part of Dante's three-part religious project, the Divine Comedy, which goes on to illustrate Christian purgatory and heaven.
Why is Dante's Inferno so important?
Dante's poem, The Divine Comedy, is one of the most important works of medieval literature. An imaginary journey through Hell, Purgatory and Paradise, the work explores ideas of the afterlife in medieval Christian belief.
Who wrote the poem "I nferno"?
I nferno is a fourteenth-century epic poem by Dante Alighieri in which the poet and pilgrim Dante embarks on a spiritual journey.
Who are Dante and Virgil?
Having passed through the gates of hell, Dante and Virgil enter Limbo, a region populated by the souls of those who are noble in character but unbaptized, including pagans and infants. Dante is honored to stroll with a company of great ancient poets, including Homer, Ovid, Lucan, and Horace, as well as Virgil.
Why did Dante hire Phlegyas?
Virgil and Dante hire Phlegyas to ferry them across. As they make the crossing, they encounter Filippo Argenti, a Florentine acquaintance of Dante’s. Argenti bitterly accosts Dante because of their opposing political allegiances: Argenti being a Black Guelph, Dante a White.
What is the name of the beast that ferries Dante and Virgil down?
To descend through the abyss, Virgil solicits the assistance of the winged beast Geryon, who ferries them down. The Eighth Circle, the vastest of all, houses the souls of the fraudulent, who are divided into ten bolge, or trenches.
What are the nine circles Dante and Virgil explore?
Dante and Virgil enter hell and explore its nine circles, observ ing the punishments suffered by the various categories of sinners. At the bottom of the Ninth Circle, Dante and Virgil encounter Lucifer. They climb the devil’s back in order to ascend to Mount Purgatory.
What is the third circle in Dante's story?
In the Third Circle, Dante speaks with Ciacco, a fellow Florentine who makes a political prophecy: the Black Guelphs will drive out the White Guelphs. This event, the cause of Dante’s exile in 1302, indeed came to pass. The Fourth Circle is the realm of the greedy.
What year is the Divine Comedy?
At the start of the first canto of Inferno, the action has already begun, unaccompanied by contextual information. The year is 1300. It is the night before Good Friday.
When was Dante's Inferno released?
Dante's Inferno is a 2010 action video game developed by Visceral Games and published by Electronic Arts. The game was released for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PlayStation Portable in February 2010. The PlayStation Portable version was developed by Artificial Mind and Movement .
What is Dante's Inferno?
Dante's Inferno is an action-adventure game. The player controls Dante, the game's protagonist, and engages in fast-paced combat, platforming and environment-based puzzles. In the game, Dante's primary weapon is Death's scythe that can be used in a series of combination attacks and finishing moves.
What is the game Inferno based on?
The game's story is loosely based on Inferno, the first canticle of Dante Alighieri 's Divine Comedy. It follows Dante, imagined as a Templar knight from The Crusades, who, guided by the spirit of the poet Virgil, needs to fight through the nine Circles of Hell to rescue Beatrice from the clutches of Lucifer himself.
What is the story of Dante?
The story follows Dante, a Templar knight from the Crusade who (despite his faith) has committed numerous atrocities during the Third Crusade. At the city of Acre, Dante is entrusted to keep a group of Saracen prisoners safe so King Richard I could obtain a holy relic from Saladin. But once he brutally slaughters them, Dante is ordered to take the holy relic. During the attack, Dante is stabbed in the back by an Assassin, whereupon Death appears and condemns Dante to "everlasting damnation for [his] sins," despite being promised by a Bishop that his sins would be absolved. Dante refuses to accept his fate, vows to redeem himself, and defeats Death while taking his scythe. Dante leaves the Crusade, stitching a red holy cross -shaped tapestry onto his torso, depicting every sin he has committed in the past. He returns to Florence, only to find his lover Beatrice Portinari and father Alighiero brutally murdered. Beatrice's soul appears before Dante, telling him that she knew he would come after her before a shadowy manifestation of Lucifer drags her into darkness. After making it to a chapel, Dante blesses the holy cross that Beatrice gave him upon making their vows to be true to each other, to protect him against the evils that await. Upon doing so, a crack in the earth opens up, allowing Dante to descend to the Gates of Hell.
What is the Dark Forest based on?
The first traditional piece of downloadable content was released a month after release on March 4, entitled Dark Forest, a prologue level loosely based on the opening of The Divine Comedy, that sees Dante in a dark forest before meeting Virgil. The content includes two new enemies known as the "Forest Siren" and "Death Knight" and involves a series of puzzles to overcome. In addition to the level, the download also includes an additional "Disco Inferno" costume, a novelty piece in the style of polyester disco fashion wear.
Where does Dante see himself?
Dante is then taken to Purgatory, where he sees himself near Mount Purgatory with Beatrice's soul awaiting him in Paradise. He then rips off the tapestry from his chest and walks away with Beatrice's soul. As the ripped tapestry disintegrates to a snake that slithers away, Lucifer's haunting laugh echoes for the final time, implying that the snake is his manifestation and that Lucifer awaits his revenge or that he will only be destroyed until the Last Judgment .
Who guides Dante through the Nine Circles of Hell?
At the Gates, he encounters Virgil, who knows of Dante's past sins, yet agrees to guide him through the Nine Circles of Hell in exchange for Beatrice putting in a word for him in Heaven. Dante begins his descent at the shores of Hell where the newly damned souls are forced aboard the great ferry of Charon.
What did Dante do well with Inferno?
What Dante truly did well with Inferno is to write a universal work that critics would praise due to its elevated style, but ordinary people could also access and enjoy it.
What are the elements of Dante's Inferno?
Dante’s Inferno Literary Elements. Major Thematic Elements: The perfection of God’s justice; evil juxtaposed to God’s grace; storytelling as a vehicle for immortality. Motifs: Political arguments; allusions to classical literature; cities; fame and prestige in human life.
Why are Dante and Virgil in this circle together?
They are in this Circle together because of their imprudence with Fortune. At the end of Canto VII, Dante and Virgil descend to the Fifth Circle of Hell and see the River Styx. Covered in mud, these souls residing here fight and bite one another relentlessly. These are the souls of the wrathful.
Why does Virgil cover Dante's eyes?
Virgil covers Dante’s eyes in time to prevent this . An angelic messenger arrives to force open the gates and allow Dante entry to the Sixth Circle of Hell, home of the heretics. Here, as Canto X begins, Dante encounters a political rival, Farinata.
What does Dante feel about Hell?
Dante feels great feelings of pity and is overwhelmed at first, however he seems to come to a deeper understanding of Hell and how it functions as a spiritual realm, so by the end he possesses a certain acceptance and wisdom about Hell and its purpose.
Where do Dante and Virgil meet Minos?
In Canto V , Virgil and Dante descend to the Second Circle of Hell where they meet the monster Minos. His job is to assign punishments to the condemned souls who enter. The Second Circle of Hell is where the lustful wind up. Overcome with pity, Dante faints for the second time since he’s arrived in Hell.
What is the conflict in Dante's poem?
Conflict: Dante attempts to find his way to God, to Heaven, to Beatrice, but obstacles in Hell hinder his journey. Plot: The story is told in Cantos—sections of the poem. Mostly, the Cantos align with where the characters are in their journey through Hell. Major Symbols: The entire poem is allegorical, so every aspect serves as a symbol.
Summary
Read our full plot summary and analysis of Inferno, chapter by chapter breakdowns, and more.
Characters
See a complete list of the characters in Inferno, as well as in-depth analyses of Dante Alighieri and Virgil.
Literary Devices
Here's where you'll find analysis of the literary devices in Inferno, from the major themes to motifs, symbols, and more.
Questions & Answers
Explore our selection of frequently asked questions about Inferno and find the answers you need.
Quotes
Find the quotes you need to support your Inferno essay, or refresh your memory of the book by reading these key quotes.
Quick Quizzes
Test your knowledge of Inferno with quizzes about every section, major characters, themes, symbols, and more.
Essays
Get ready to ace your Inferno paper with our suggested essay topics, helpful essays about historical and literary context, a sample A+ student essay, and more.
Who did Dante meet?
Dante also meets Epicurus, Pope Anastasius II, and Emperor Frederick II. Violence: This is the first circle to be further segmented into sub-circles or rings.
Who wrote the Inferno?
The Structure of the Italian Poet's 'Inferno'. Adam Burgess, Ph.D. is a university professor, literary reviewer, and expert in American and classical literature and criticism. Dante’s "Inferno" is the first part of his three-part epic poem " The Divine Comedy ," written in the 14 th century and considered one of the world’s great works ...
What is the circle Dante encounters?
Greed: Self-explanatory. Dante encounters more ordinary people but also the guardian of the circle, Pluto, the mythological king of the Underworld. This circle is reserved for people who hoarded or squandered their money, but Dante and Virgil do not directly interact with any of its inhabitants. This is the first time they pass through a circle without speaking to anyone, a commentary on Dante’s opinion of greed as a higher sin.
What is Dante's anger?
Anger: Dante and Virgil are threatened by the Furies when they try to enter through the walls of Dis (Satan). This is a further progression in Dante’s evaluation of the nature of sin; he also begins to question himself and his own life, realizing his actions and nature could lead him to this permanent torture.
What is the first part of Dante's Divine Comedy?
Dante’s "Inferno" is the first part of his three-part epic poem " The Divine Comedy ," written in the 14 th century and considered one of the world’s great works of literature. "Inferno" is followed by "Purgatorio" and "Paradiso .". Those approaching "Inferno" for the first time might benefit from a brief structural description.
Who guided Dante through the nine circles of Hell?
This is Dante’s journey through the nine circles of Hell, guided by the poet Virgil. At the beginning of the story, a woman, Beatrice, calls for an angel to bring Virgil to guide Dante in his journey so that no harm will befall him.
How many circles of hell are there?
Nine Circles of Hell. Here are the circles of hell in order of entrance and severity: Limbo: Where those who never knew Christ exist. Dante encounters Ovid, Homer, Socrates, Aristotle, Julius Caesar, and more here. Lust: Self-explanatory.
Overview
Dante's Inferno is a 2010 action-adventure game developed by Visceral Games and published by Electronic Arts. The game was released for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PlayStation Portable in February 2010. The PlayStation Portable version was developed by Artificial Mind and Movement.
The game's story is loosely based on Inferno, the first canticle of Dante Alighieri's Divine …
Gameplay
Dante's Inferno is an action-adventure game. The player controls Dante, the game's protagonist, and engages in fast-paced combat, platforming and environment-based puzzles. In the game, Dante's primary weapon is a scythe that can be used in a series of combination attacks and finishing moves. He has a Holy Cross that fires a volley of energy as a projectile attack. In addition, Dant…
Plot
The story follows Dante, a Templar knight from the Crusade who has committed numerous atrocities during the Third Crusade. Dante is entrusted to keep a group of prisoners safe so King Richard I could obtain a holy relic, the True Cross, from Saladin. But once he brutally slaughters them, Dante is ordered to take the holy relic. During the attack, Dante is stabbed in the back by an assassin, whereupon the grim reaper appears and condemns Dante for his sins, despite being p…
Release
A playable demo was released for PlayStation 3 on December 10, 2009, and for Xbox 360 on December 24, 2009. Dante's Inferno was first released in Australasia on February 4, 2010, and later across Europe on February 5 and in North America on February 9, 2010.
In addition to the standard retail copy of the game, a second limited special edition of the game for both the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 was released alongside known as the "Death Edition". Alon…
Marketing
Before the game's release, Dante's Inferno underwent a prominent, at times elaborate marketing campaign led by the game's publisher Electronic Arts. The numerous advertisements highlighted certain sins associated with the circles of hell, at times promoting fake services before accusing the viewer of the sin linked to it.
Reception
Dante's Inferno received "generally favorable reviews" for the PlayStation 3 version and "mixed or average reviews" for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation Portable versions from critics, according to review aggregator Metacritic. While there was substantial praise for the art style and level design, numerous critics drew unfavorable comparisons with Sony's popular God of War series, among other more fundamental criticisms, such as monotonous and repetitive gameplay in the latter hal…
Legacy
Film Roman, the Starz Entertainment unit behind Dead Space: Downfall, released an animated direct-to-DVD version of the story that was released simultaneously with the video game. The Dante's Inferno project had separate anime studios being tapped to create visuals of the nine levels of the Inferno. Starz Entertainment is looking to sell both animated films to international TV buyers at the MIP market. The animation studios that participated in the making of Dante's Infer…
Future
Since the game ends in a cliffhanger with Dante reaching Mount Purgatory, it was widely speculated that a sequel, based on the second poem in The Divine Comedy, Purgatorio, would enter production. Despite this, it was announced that Visceral had no plans for a sequel. Zach Mumbach of the studio stated: "I'm sure that if enough people are like, 'I got 60 dollars for Purgatory or Paradiso,' then we would make that game. But I don't know. I don't get to make tho…