To Dante, the biblical passage of “eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth” is the basis for which all punishment is ultimately given, and all those who suffer do so with a fitting or ironic method. The hierarchy is not random; the methods of torture inflicted follow a scale of least to most serious the deeper into the underworld the characters visit.
Full Answer
What is the Inferno according to Dante?
Inferno (Dante) In the poem, Hell is depicted as nine concentric circles of torment located within the Earth; it is the "realm ... of those who have rejected spiritual values by yielding to bestial appetites or violence, or by perverting their human intellect to fraud or malice against their fellowmen".
What is the punishment of immersion in Dante's Inferno?
^ The punishment of immersion was not typically ascribed in Dante's age to the violent, but the Visio attaches it to those who facere praelia et homicidia et rapinas pro cupiditate terrena ("make battle and murder and rapine because of worldly cupidity").
How many pieces of art are in Dante's Inferno?
A 72-piece art collection featured in Dante's Hell Animated and Inferno by Dante films. Dante's Places: a map (still a prototype) of the places named by Dante in the Commedia, created with GoogleMaps. Explanatory PDF is available for download
How many bolgias does Dante see in Dante's Inferno?
Dante and Virgil reach it on the back of Geryon, a flying monster with different natures, just like the fraudulent. This circle of Hell is divided into 10 Bolgias or stony ditches with bridges between them. In Bolgia 1, Dante sees panderers and seducer.
What were the punishments in Dante's Inferno?
The souls here are punished by being blown about violently by strong winds, preventing them to find peace and rest. Sinners lie rotting away in a never ending icy rain, overlooked by a worm-monster Cerberus. The inhabitants drag about heavy weights and boulders with their chest all the time.
What are the 3 sins in Dante's Inferno?
Dante categorize hell into three major sins consisting of incontinence, violence, and fraudulent. Fraudulent is portrayed as the worse sin in the Inferno while incontinence is seen as a less serious sin. Each category has sinners which have all been punished for their wrong doings in life.
What is the punishment for circle 9 in Dante's Inferno?
Contrary to popular depictions of Hell as a hot, fiery place, Dante's Ninth Circle is a frozen lake because it is devoid of love and warmth. Those who get sent to the Ninth Circle are stuck in the lake, their bottom halves frozen into it and unable to move.
What sin is punished most harshly in the inferno?
In Dante's imagined descent through hell, he reserved the Ninth Circle—the “lowest, blackest, and farthest from Heaven”—for the sin of treachery. The worst sinners, in his underworld, were the traitors—those who betrayed their loved ones, their country, and their God.
What is the punishment in circle 4?
In the Fourth Circle of Hell, sinners are punished by being forced to fight each other. Each person pushes a large, rolling weight with his or her chest and crashes into someone guilty of the opposing sin from the other side of the circle.
How is gluttony punished?
In Inferno, Dante finds the Gluttonous in the Third Circle of Hell. These souls overindulged in food, drink, or something else in their lives. Their punishment is to wallow in disgusting mire created by eternally falling rain, hail, sleet, and snow.
What is the punishment in Canto 34?
Canto 34, Inferno by Dante In the Judecca traitors to God are punished, and Dante identifies these with traitors to the Catholic Church and the Empire. Most of these damned shades are buried in the ice, and Dante can not talk to any of them.
What is the punishment in Limbo?
The souls in Limbo are not punished directly, but are condemned to "suffer harm through living in desire"; their punishment is to be left desirous of salvation.
What is the punishment in Antenora?
This means that they are buried up to their necks; shame appears with a blush in a person's face. In the second ring, Antenora, which is named after a Trojan who betrayed his city, are punished those who were treacherous against their countries or political parties.
What is the punishment in circle 8?
In Dantes Inferno circle 8, the eighth pit, is for those who are considered counselors of fraud and brought about the downfall of others; they intentionally misled others for their own gain by feeding them lies. Their punishment is to be burned in flames here in the 8th circle of Hell.
What punishment do the wrathful and the sullen get?
These sinners are opposite sides of the same coin. On the surface, the Wrathful fight viciously with each other, the embodiment of expressed wrath. Beneath the surface of the Marsh of Styx, the Sullen are forced to choke on their anger in the embodiment of repressed wrath.
How many circles are there in Dante's Inferno?
In Dante Alighieri's long poem Inferno, Dante imagines that he is being led through Hell by the famous Roman poet Virgil. In Dante's imagining of Hell, there are nine concentric circles, meaning one circle within the other. Each circle has different punishments that are based on the sin that a person commits.
What does Dante mean by the 9th circle?
Just as Dante sees Hell in general as concentric circles, meaning one circle within each other, the Ninth Circle has its own divisions within itself. The more serious the crime of betrayal, the further into the center of the lake a person would be sent, with Satan himself in the middle.
What is the 9th circle of Hell?
The Ninth Circle of Hell is a frozen lake and, like Dante's vision of Hell in general, the Ninth Circle itself is divided into rings of increasingly bad sections with the worst in the center. The people who are sent to the Ninth Circle are people who have betrayed the trust of someone or something close and special.
Why is Dante's Ninth Circle frozen?
Contrary to popular depictions of Hell as a hot, fiery place, Dante's Ninth Circle is a frozen lake because it is devoid of love and warmth. Those who get sent to the Ninth Circle are stuck in the lake, their bottom halves frozen into it and unable to move.
What does the Ninth Circle of Hell represent?
As you can see, the Ninth Circle of Hell in Dante's Inferno represents the worst kind of punishment for the worst kind of sins Dante can think of.
What is the Inferno about?
Of the three books of the Divine Comedy, the Inferno is the most vividly aware of the human condition. Incredibly detailed descriptions of eternal agony and suffering directly correlate to the misdeeds committed against God and common decency, enabling those who read the Inferno to conclude that an otherworldly Hell would logically follow Dante’s thorough example. In the story, the character of Dante passes through the underworld accompanied by famed and respected writer of the ancient world, Virgil, in an allegorical attempt to convey the hierarchical structure of justified pain and suffering. To Dante, the biblical passage of “eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth” is the basis for which all punishment is ultimately given, and all those who suffer do so with a fitting or ironic method. The hierarchy is not random; the methods of torture inflicted follow a scale of least to most serious the deeper into the underworld the characters visit. In Dante’s view there are three major divisions of the circles of Hell, populated by those who give into their lesser instincts and desires, those that refuse God, and those that intentionally do harm to themselves or others by physical or deceptive means. Dante uses these three divisions to explain which misdeeds are more severe than others and why the punishments given to those populating each are fitting and deserved.
Who were the three men Dante believed to be the most horrific to have ever lived for their acts of betray
At the bottom lays only three men and the tri-faced Devil gnashing them between its teeth, the three men Dante believed to be the most horrific to have ever lived for their acts of betrayal; Judas, Brutus, and Cassius.
Why were the heathens stranded in Limbo?
The virtuous heathens are stranded in Limbo for not knowing God, their punishment merely an eternal longing: “they did not sin; and yet, though they have merits, that’s not enough” (Canto IV, 34-5). They died before knowing Christianity; therefore even the most noble and dedicated heathens could not ascend to Heaven.
Is the hierarchy of Hell random?
The hierarchy is not random; the methods of torture inflicted follow a scale of least to most serious the deeper into the underworld the characters visit. In Dante’s view there are three major divisions of the circles of Hell, populated by those who give into their lesser instincts and desires, those that refuse God, ...
Comparison Of Confessions And Dante's Inferno
While both Augustine’s confessions and Dante’s Inferno are concerned with the individual's repentance and conversion of life, Confessions seems to be more personal and Inferno more encyclopedic. Augustine organizes his work to be about him finding who God is and his conflict for conversion.
Dantes Inferno Research Paper
Introduction The afterlife is a common aspect of many cultures. In Christianity, Dante Alighieri is the first person to describe all levels of the afterwords but is known primarily for his description of hell.
Retributive Justice In The Inferno
The punishment fits the crime. That statement conforms to the ideas of a system know as retributive justice. Retributive justice is rooted in proportionality. This means that a punishment should be to the same degree of ones sin. This system appeals to me personally because it avoids giving people the chance to seak revenge.
Who confiscated Dante's property?
Again, the punishment reflects the type of the sin committed during their lifetime. While passing through, the poets are approached by Filippo Argenti, a prominent Florentine politician who confiscated Dante’s property after his expulsion from Florence.
Who is in Dante's first circle of hell?
Dante’s First Circle of Hell is resided by virtuous non-Christians and unbaptized pagans who are punished with eternity in an inferior form of Heaven. They live in a castle with seven gates which symbolize the seven virtues. Here, Dante sees many prominent people from classical antiquity such as Homer, Socrates, Aristotle, Cicero, Hippocrates, ...
How many Bolgias are there in the circle of Hell?
This circle of Hell is divided into 10 Bolgias or stony ditches with bridges between them. In Bolgia 1, Dante sees panderers and seducer. In Bolgia 2 he finds flatterers. After crossing the bridge to Bolgia 3, he and Virgil see those who are guilty of simony.
What are the 4 rounds of Hell?
Those who committed more severe sin are deeper within the ice. Each of the 4 Rounds is named after an individual who personifies the sin. Thus Round 1 is named Caina after Cain who killed his brother Abel, Round 2 is named Antenora after Anthenor of Troy who was Priam’s counselor during the Trojan War, Round 3 is named Ptolomaea after Ptolemy (son of Abubus), while Round 4 is named Judecca after Judas Iscariot, the apostle who betrayed Jesus with a kiss.
What are the two groups in the Fourth Circle of Hell?
They are divided into two groups – those who hoarded possessions and those who lavishly spent it – jousting.
What is the second circle of hell?
Second Circle (Lust) In the Second Circle of Hell, Dante and his companion Virgil find people who were overcome by lust. They are punished by being blown violently back and forth by strong winds, preventing them from finding peace and rest.
What does the wind mean in Dante's story?
Strong winds symbolize the restlessness of a person who is led by the desire for fleshly pleasures. Again, Dante sees many notable people from history and mythology including Cleopatra, Tristan, Helen of Troy and others who were adulterous during their lifetime.
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.
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 does Dante perceive in the distance?
In the distance, Dante perceives high towers that resemble fiery red mosques. Virgil informs him that they are approaching the City of Dis. Dis, itself surrounded by the Stygian marsh, contains Lower Hell within its walls. Dis is one of the names of Pluto, the classical king of the underworld, in addition to being the name of the realm. The walls of Dis are guarded by fallen angels. Virgil is unable to convince them to let Dante and him enter.
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 is the name of the first part of the Divine Comedy?
Canto I from the Inferno, the first part of the Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri. v. t. e. Dante 's Divine Comedy. Inferno ( Hell) Purgatorio ( Purgatory) Paradiso ( Heaven) Inferno ( Italian: [iɱˈfɛrno]; Italian for "Hell") is the first part of Italian writer Dante Alighieri 's 14th-century epic poem Divine Comedy.
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.
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.