Examination of Dante’s Inferno

Dante’s “The Divine Comedy,” is more than just a poem from the Middle Ages. There is a significant amount of symbolism within the work itself. There is even great symbolism within the title of the poem “Inferno.” This poem has been analyzed for centuries. Through Dante’s use of people, places, and ideas there are very specific things that are alluded to. “Inferno” alludes to the idea of sin, guidance to consciousness through Virgil, and a sense of change through the descriptions of the lost souls.

First, Dante uses the idea of sin throughout his entire work. The title itself can be looked at as Hell. This is the most prevalent aspect to be examined in his poem. The poem itself is a journey through hell. Dante wanted to show the audience how man’s sins can be translated into the afterlife. Reade states that “Dante went among the truly dead to learn of the nature of sin and its consequences” (627). In doing so he is taking the audience along with him. Dante explains both what the sin is, and what the punishment for that sin is. Scartazzini and Berneys suggest that “these punishments must be developed from the corresponding sins, and it must be possible to show how they are their product, how they spring from them by an inner necessity” (21). Therefore, the punishment must fit the sin, which is what Dante ends up describing.

Sin is something everyone can relate to. We have laws that are built off the idea of sinning. Dante explores the significance of sin within man’s soul. The more damaging a sin is the more it weighs on a person, and the deeper man is dragged down by it (Scartazzini, and Berneys). This can be seen through the different circles of hell Dante goes through. The closer Dante gets to the center the sins become more extreme. “The center of the universe is the lowest region of Dante’s Inferno, and at the same time that spot in the universe which is furthest removed from God; as it is sin which estranges man from God…” (Scartazzini, and Berneys 24). The further removed from the surface he is, the more Dante becomes aware of the sinners.

In the earlier circles of Hell Dante feels sad, or remorseful for some of the souls. However, as he continues to go into the inner circles this changes. He then starts to show the reader that committing a sin is not an act, but rather a decision. Dante sees that the more sinful acts a person commits, the more the soul attains permanence in sin (Blow). This is an important aspect for Dante to show. The audience senses that the further down Dante goes, the more involved the individual souls were involved in their sins. According to Blow, this can be seen as an individual’s own battle, “the long conflict between good and evil comes at last to an end, and the sin in which we have indulged is stamped upon the soul as its eternal form” (125). Although sin is an important part when examining the Inferno, there is also a sense of consciousness.

Dante is not alone though his journey into Hell. He has a guide named Virgil. Virgil is there to take Dante to the center and then out to the other side. Dante alludes to Virgil as a guide to consciousness. When it comes to sin, sometimes people forget how it can impact them. Virgil is there to show, and remind Dante of what it means to be a sinner. This is important for the audience as well. Blow suggests that our age is losing consciousness of sin (121). This poem is a way to bring everyone back to an acknowledgment of what sin can do. Blow believes, “throughout the “Inferno” the varying punishments are simply the external symbols of varying phases of sinful consciousness (125). This can be seen in the poem when Dante specifies what sin is being punished in what way; an example of this is the violent sinners being put in a river of blood.

Through his guidance from Virgil, Dante alludes to consciousness also within himself. He knows some of the souls in these circles of hell. It would only make sense that he would question all of his former sins and who he was as a person. “The thought upon which this view of sin ultimately rests is, that man can only learn what he is by finding out what he is not…”(Blow 122). Dante finds it important for the audience to understand who he is. That is why he portrays emotions toward specific sinners. He feels bad for some and is repulsed by others. This shows his character and makes the audience sympathize with him. Consciousness and sin are both important to examine in the Inferno, but there is one more aspect to look at.

Thirdly, the idea of change is alluded to within the Inferno. Change is an aspect that is shown through the sinners that Dante describes. It is both a physical and a spiritual change that is alluded to. “According to Christian popular belief, an almost absolute transformation takes place in man at the moment of death” (Scartazzini, and Berneys 21). Dante describes some of the sinners as having their heads turned backward. This is something that could not be done anywhere else. It’s a way of explaining that your sins can change who you are, and in the afterlife they can physically change you as well. “It depends upon the conduct of man while on earth-whether he will reach the adobe of infinite blessedness or the regions of indescribable torture” (Scartazzini and Berneys 21). Man’s consciousness is also impacted by the afterlife and sins.

Dante incorporates both consciousness and change into his poem. It is important to examine the changes that are seen through the sinners and through Dante’s own eyes. Every time Dante sees a new sinner, and a new punishment, he becomes more aware of himself. He does this every time he gives descriptions of a sinner within Hell. Man is able to make his own choices on a daily basis. However, Dante describes these sinners as having no control over their actions. Scartazzini and Berneys suggest that after death, consciousness is exposed to a change. It is almost as if the sins are controlling every move of the sinner. This is the most powerful aspect of the Inferno.

In conclusion, Dante’s Inferno is a very powerful poem. It uses symbolism within almost every sentence. The acts of sin, consciousness, and change were explored throughout his poem. Sin is the most prevalent aspect alluded to within the Inferno. Hell in itself is known to be where all of the sinners of the world go. Dante explored how different sins impacted people. How sins become a way of life, and not merely just an act. Dante explores how sin can follow us into the afterlife. Sins attach themselves onto our soul until that becomes who we are. Dante also shows how different levels of sins can weigh a person down. The further down into the circles of Hell Dante got, the worse the sins and punishment became.

Dante also examined what consciousness means in Hell. His guide Virgil is there to remind him of what sin can do to a person. It is an important aspect to add to the Inferno. Consciousness is a way of bringing the audience on the ride with him. He notes how he feels remorseful for specific souls, and is repulsed by others. This shows a consciousness of emotions. It shows that he is still alive and that his sins will determine both who he is, and who he is not. The final aspect alluded to within this work is the aspect of change. It is an idea that everyone changes when they die. Whether it is physical change or spiritual change. Dante portrays a change within himself through his travels. He becomes more aware of his ability to make choices, and the sinner’s inability to make choices.

Works Cited

Blow, Susan. "DANTE'S "INFERNO"." Journal of Speculative Philosophy. 18.2 (1884): 121-138. Web. 13 Nov. 2013.

Reade, W.H.V. "The Moral System of Dante's "Inferno"." American Journal of Theology. 13.4(1909): 625-628. Web. 13 Nov. 2013.

Scartazzini, J.A., and Thekla Bernays. "On the Congruence of Sin and Punishment in Dante’sInferno." Journal of Speculative Philosophy. 22.1/2 (1888): 21-83. Web. 13 Nov. 2013.