Transcript Dante’s Inferno

Dante’s Inferno
By Dante Alighieri
Dante Alighieri
• World’s greatest poet of ideas
• Born in Florence, grew up in beginning of
the Renaissance
• Exiled for supporting the White Guelphs,
against the Pope – banishment!
Background
• Allegory: the discussion of one subject by
disguising it as another. The characters,
setting, and the plot have hidden/symbolic
meaning. Teaches a moral lesson.
In medieval literature the allegory is the use
of visible, physical reality to express
the invisible or intangible.
• Universal theme: search for salvation
The Divine Comedy
• Epic poem written during his exile
• Three sections: Inferno, Purgatorio, and
Paradiso
• Each section divided into cantos (song)
100 cantos total
• Written in three line stanzas, terza rima
• Three: deep spiritual meaning
• Commedia – happy ending
Story
• Dante –
a traveler who stands for all of humanity
• He travels into the Inferno, Purgatory, and
Paradise
• Encounters characters from mythology,
history, and his own time (friends,
enemies)
• Soul’s odyssey from sin to eternal glory
Significant characters
• Virgil – great Roman poet, Dante’s symbol of human
reason.
• Beatrice – a woman whom Dante loved;
symbol of divine love, she will take
him through to Paradiso.
Dante’s Law of Hell –
as they sinned,
so they are punished.
Canto I
"Midway through the
journey of our life,
I woke to find myself in a
dark wood.”
Virgil acts as
Dante’s guide through
the Inferno
Canto III Abandon hope all ye who
enter here
Literary devices
• Light and dark imagery
• The light represents reason, truth,
righteousness, and goodness.
• Dark is often depicted in times of torment,
blindness, and evil.
• Imagery in Canto 3
• Teacher/pupil dialogue emphasizes moral
voice.
Gate of Hell
• Virgil takes Dante through
dark vestibule
“Assault of the senses”
• Souls of the Unsure
• Charon, ferryman
• Four Rivers of Hell:
Acheron, Styx (mud)
Phlegethon (blood), Cocytus (ice)
Canto III – Level One
• Who are the unsure? What is their
punishment? Why is their punishment
appropriate?
• Why is Charon angry that Dante is
onboard? What is Virgil’s response?
• Identify the simile in Canto III
Canto V –
Second Level of Hell
• Minos
• Illicit lovers
Lust is one of seven
deadly sins
• Punishment
Sinners • Cleopatra, Helen, Dido
• Paris & Tristan
• Paolo & Francesca
• Sinners in Circle Two
of Hell are denied the
pure light of reason
• Courtly love – noble lady
beautiful & intelligent, is
loved by a courageous
knight (already
married - unattainable)
Canto V questions
•
•
•
•
Symbols: Hurricane of Hell
Minos’ role?
Inhabitants in second level of Hell?
Francesca & Paolo? What was the
“spark”?
• What is their punishment? Why is it
appropriate?
• What will happen to Francesca’s
husband?
• How does Dante feel about these souls?
Canto 34
Vexilla regis prodeunt Inferni
“The banners of the King of Hell advance”
Canto 34 - Level 9
Treacherous to their masters
“The banners of the King of Hell advance”
• Sinners?
• Punishment
• Describe last
level of Hell
• Description of
Dis & Caina
Canto 34 Questions
• How is the icy wind created?
Icy wind of cocytus Ko-kit’es (“wailing”
exhalation of all evil)
• What covers the shades in the lowest level
of Hell?
• Explain lines 33-35
• What is Dis’ emotional state?
• How does Dante feel about these souls?
Getting out of Hell
• Having seen it all, the poets now climb
through the center, grappling hand over
hand down the hairy flank of Satan himself
– a last supremely symbolic action
• And, at last, when they have passed the
center of all gravity, they emerge from Hell
• A long climb from the earth’s center to the
Mount of Purgatory awaits them
• They emerge to see the stars of Heaven,
just before dawn on Easter sunday