The Divine Comedy

before we dive into the deep waters of the divine comedy, let’s take a moment to look at the unique structure of this peculiar work. this narrative poem depicts a journey a soul takes upon leaving the earthly realm. in this case, it’s the author’s own soul. spiritually adrift and despondent over the loss of his one true love, he embarks on a journey that takes him to hell, through purgatory, and finally to heaven. this journey fits the ancient definition of a “comedy,” which is a story that goes from a tragic start to a happy ending.

this epic poem is incredibly ambitious. for starters, it is so linguistically rich that dante’s tuscan dialect ended up becoming the standard language throughout all of italy. it’s also filled with allegories within allegories and so much numerology that one can spend a lifetime going through it, line by line, and uncover new meanings and secrets. its densely layered commentaries on philosophy, religion, politics and history have made some wonder if dante wasn’t touched by the divine when writing this text.

even the structure is unique and meaningful. the poem is broken up into 100 cantos, which are essentially chapters in medieval poetry. there is one introductory canto, and then there are 33 cantos in each of the three cantiche, or larger sections: the inferno, the purgatorio, and the paradiso – otherwise known as hell, purgatory and heaven.

each of these sections also have a structure to them that can be broken down into a nine-plus-one motif. there are nine descending circles to hell, plus the one devoted to lucifer, for example, and nine celestial bodies in heaven, plus the highest level containing the essence of god.

this is one of those texts so filled with symbolism that everything is likely a metaphor for something else. we’ll try to cover as much of it as we can, and clue you in to what it all means, by devoting two sections each to the inferno, the purgatorio, and the paradiso. with that in mind, let’s go ahead and dive in!

when we first meet dante, he’s lost in a forest, trying to make his way to a sunlit mountain. there, in the darkened woods, he meets three beasts. immediately, the metaphors begin, with the forest representing the dark, sinful state of his existence and his spiritual confusion, and the sunny mountain being the land of virtue. the three beasts represent lust, pride, and greed.

dante is unable to fend off the beasts, and just then the deceased ancient roman poet virgil shows up – the first of many instances of divine intervention. virgil is considered among the greatest philosophical poets, and he was certainly a guiding light for dante’s own work. 

virgil explains that dante’s suffering can be relieved. but this kind of spiritual redemption would require him to go on a journey through hell, purgatory, and heaven. in hell, he will be forced to recognize his sins. in purgatory, he will need to repent and cleanse himself. and only then will he be able to experience the divine grace of god’s paradise.

dante has his moment of doubt, feeling unworthy of such a profound mission. but virgil reassures him and explains that beatrice, dante’s deceased love, has sent virgil on this mission. in fact, beatrice was herself sent by saint lucia and the virgin mary, who recognized dante’s suffering. this bolsters dante’s courage. his grief over losing beatrice is a big part of his suffering. so, guided by virgil, he proceeds with a renewed sense of purpose.

as their descent into hell begins, they pass the famous inscription, “abandon all hope, ye who enter here,” which sets the tone for what lies ahead. crossing the river acheron, they reach the first circle of hell, the limbo. here he finds souls who never knew christ, including homer, plato, and aristotle. they’re not being tortured by any means, but they do experience an eternal longing for the divine. in this worldview, even virtuous lives are incomplete without christian faith.

in hell, dante discovers that divine justice consists of punishment that corresponds to the severity of the sin, and the deeper they descend the worse it gets. for instance, some of the first souls he encounters are those of the indifferent – people who chose a life of neither good nor evil – who are condemned to being stung by wasps and hornets. 

moving on to the second circle, we find souls who’ve succumbed to the sin of lust. here, dante feels pity as he finds that the souls are condemned to being blown around by a violent storm, symbolizing the uncontrollable nature of their passions.

further down, we move into the third circle of gluttony, where the souls are condemned to an eternal storm of filthy rain and sleet, while at the same time being clawed at by cerberus, the three-headed hound of hell. here, dante meets the soul of ciacco, a florentine man who recognizes him. ciacco bemoans his punishments for his slothfulness and tells dante that florence is in trouble, as the “three fatal sparks” of greed, envy, and pride, consume human hearts and lead both people and societies to their doom.

this leads us to the fourth circle of hell where the souls of the greedy are forced to endlessly push heavy weights. from there dante and virgil descend to the styx, a marshy swamp that marks the fifth circle of hell, reserved for the wrathful and sullen. the wrathful souls are half submerged, violently fighting for their survival, while the sullen are fully submerged.

after crossing the styx, they arrive at the gates of the city of dis. within the gates, and within the sixth circle of hell, they find the souls of heretics trapped in burning tombs for eternity.

dante recognizes the soul of a political opponent named farinata. he tells dante that the damned like him can see into the future, but are blind to the present. but upon judgement day, when the bodies of the damned will reunite with their spirits for eternity, this foresight will vanish, leaving them completely blind and ignorant.

before moving on, virgil presses upon dante to remember these lessons.

before virgil and dante enter the seventh circle, virgil clues dante in a bit more on the structure, and substructures, of hell. he explains that hell is divided based on the nature of sin. sins like lust or gluttony, for instance, offend god less because they arise from human weakness, not malice. the deeper circles are reserved for those who deliberately and willfully harm others.

this leads us to the subcircles. violence can be directed toward three targets: others (which includes murder, theft, and destruction), oneself (including suicide as well as the sin of squandering one’s gifts), and god (which accounts for blasphemy and denial, among other sins). these distinctions form the subcircles, each with its own kind of torment.

the eighth circle of hell also has its subcircles, with ten different chasms for ten different kinds of fraud. with fraud being a uniquely human sin that betrays trust, each ditch has a different form of punishment for those who deceive strangers or acquaintances, such as seducers, flatterers, and hypocrites.

in the ninth circle, we reach the harshest level of torment for acts of treachery. unlike fraud, treachery is committed by those who violate deep bonds of trust, such as betraying family, friends or country. 

with a better understanding, dante and virgil continue on. when they reach the eighth circle of hell, dante learns that the region is also known as malebolge, a grim region filled with darkness, rocks, and the anguished cries of souls being whipped by horned demons.

as they climb across rocky terrain, they go from one chasm to the next, where souls are separated based on the kind of fraud they perpetrated. they encounter counterfeiters and blasphemers; as well as historical figures like pope nicholas iii, who regrets his misuse of the church’s power for personal gain. each encounter reinforces the idea that betrayal, and seeking personal gain at the expense of others, is among the worst a person can do. some are condemned to rip at their own flesh, others have their head buried and feet set aflame, then there are those who are tormented by serpents or stricken with grotesque diseases.

witnessing all this, dante understands that no one escapes the consequences of their actions, and the corrupting power of fraud destroys both victim and perpetrator. he comes to recognize the importance of self-control and how one wrong decision can spiral into eternal suffering.

while much of the eighth circle is characterized by flaming chasms, the final circles of hell are quite different. at first it’s an eerie twilight land where they encounter enormous giants. one of the giants, antaeus, lifts dante and virgil to the frozen lake of cocytus which marks the beginning of the ninth level of hell, where they find treacherous souls trapped in ice. 

the contrast between the fires of the eighth circle and the freezing desolation of the ninth symbolizes the complete severance of human connection. 

here, dante encounters a disturbing scene. he sees archbishop ruggieri, a man who betrayed his trusted friend count ugolino by imprisoning him and his children in a tower where they starved to death. now, under the ice, the count gnaws on the skull of the archbishop, in an act of eternal vengeance. the betrayal of family and trust is indeed a profound wound, one that endures forever.

when dante and virgil reach the deepest circle of hell, they see lucifer, with three faces, trapped in the ice, eternally devouring the three greatest traitors – judas, brutus, and cassius, who committed the ultimate betrayals against god and country.

after witnessing this gruesome scene, virgil leads dante out of hell. as they climb up, a stream of water guides their way until finally greeted by rays of sunlight. it’s a moment of rebirth as dante and virgil emerge into the world of the living. however, dante’s journey isn’t over yet.

after emerging from the underworld, dante and virgil embark on a boat carrying them further away from darkness to a realm filled with divine light. looking up, dante sees four stars in the sky never before seen by mortal eyes. as he gazes upon them his heart is filled with the hope and purity of divine grace. 

when they reach land, an angel reminds them that, yes, salvation is possible, but only through sincere repentance and divine assistance.

ascension to heaven is quite literal as they must climb up the mountain of purgatory. it’s a steep and dangerous climb, but dante is told to move on with faith, knowing that virgil is by his side. the journey through purgatory is not only a process of removing one’s sins but also letting go of past comforts.

along the way, dante and virgil meet souls like manfredi, a noble soul who repented before death, showing it’s never too late to find redemption. there’s also belacqua, a man who was too lazy to repent in life now stuck, perched on a cliff, in a perilous state of inaction.

as they climb higher, souls notice that dante is different from others on the mountain. the sun’s rays don’t shine through him. those who have died violent deaths call out to dante, asking for help. it’s then when he understands: prayer can't alter a divine judgment that’s already been made, but it can offer solace.

many souls ask favors; they plead for dante to speak well of them when he returns to the living. but virgil has to try and keep the journey moving as the sun begins to set.

when dante and virgil finally arrive at the gates of purgatory, guarded by an angel, dante gives a solemn prayer. they are given entry, but not before the angel inscribes seven marks on dante’s forehead, symbolizing his need for purification. the gates open and they’re greeted with the heavenly sound of a choir of angels.

as dante and virgil continue their ascent up mount purgatory, they continue to come across more and more souls. unlike hell, these souls aren’t being tortured. instead, they’re striving for redemption, some are stooped over from carrying the weight of their burdens and others are simply chanting for mercy.

in fact, the progression this time is the opposite of hell. rather than souls being condemned to worse punishments the further they went, this time, the closer to the top of the mountain they get, the closer the souls are to achieving redemption.

throughout the journey, dante ponders on the subject of “bliss,” and what contributes to it. at one point, dante asks virgil, “what meant romagna’s spirit, when he spake / of bliss exclusive with no partner shar’d?” virgil explains that, actually, bliss can be shared. in fact, in heaven, the more you give, the more you have. 

as the sky darkens once again and a fog surrounds them they encounter souls like statius, who lived a life of earthly, gluttonous desires before finding redemption through christianity. here is when dante comes to understand that true redemption often begins with introspection – recognizing one’s flaws and embracing higher truths, and that true purification only comes when you recognize the deeper causes of suffering.

closer now to achieving divine clarity, dante is told by an angel to enter the flames of purification. wary, believing that he isn’t ready, dante hesitates but virgil urges him on and reminds him that beatrice is waiting and he passes through the purifying fires, holding on to the image of beatrice’s eyes. 

on the other side, night falls and dante collapses in exhaustion. when he’s awoken by virgil the next morning, dante is told that the most difficult part is now behind him. now, he must choose his own path and embark on the final stage of his ascent without virgil’s guidance.

on his own, dante once again finds himself in a forest. this time the mood is peaceful, and the air smells of flowers. he meets a lady named leah who tells him this is a place of purity, where souls can be at peace. 

dante is then greeted by a heavenly procession of saints and angels dressed in white robes, singing the praises of the virgin mary. that’s when beatrice finally appears. while dante is awestruck, he also feels guilty for not pursuing salvation sooner, delaying this reunion. beatrice acknowledges his past mistakes, but is sympathetic and compassionate. as dante feels the weight of his misdeeds, he is also overcome by sorrow and repentance, and at this moment, the angels sing as his soul transforms.

beatrice urges him to confess his sins now. dante breaks down in tears as he confesses, later collapsing out of exhaustion. at the banks of a river, he is washed clean, physically and spiritually. dante and beatrice then follow the heavenly procession, led by a gryphon symbolizing christ. beatrice urges him to remember his journey and all that he’s learned as judgement awaits.

with beatrice now as his guide, dante’s journey takes on a new dimension. as she explains, the path ahead is purely spiritual, no longer bound by physical constraints. he is about to return to where he belongs – everything in the universe follows a perfect divine plan.

gazing upon heaven, he acknowledges that human language cannot fully capture god’s glory. in fact, it’s hard to explain what he sees as this is not a place for mortal eyes.

during this new stage in heaven, beatrice guides dante through one celestial sphere after another, like virgil took him through the descending circles of hell. likewise, the further they get – or the closer to god they are – the more aligned the souls are with god’s will.

at first, dante meets souls in exile, those who failed to keep their vows. dantes asks one of these souls if she seeks a higher place in heaven. the answer is “no”, it is god’s will for her to be where she is, and she is content with that.

dante also meets the soul of emperor justinian, who talks about the rise and fall of rome and explains that even political struggles are part of god’s plan. dante understands that spiritual fulfillment comes from acceptance, even in the face of hardship. 

beatrice further explains divine justice, and the importance in maintaining your integrity when it comes to your commitment to god. in this respect, liberty and self-discipline must coexist. for free will, when it’s aligned with divine love, is what leads to spiritual growth.

these themes are further reinforced as dante meets st. francis and st. dominic. the first was praised for his humility, devotion, and self-sacrifice, while the latter fought heresy and spread the gospel, thus reflecting the divine order that governs both wisdom and faith. dante is inspired by the principles of love and devotion embodied by these saints.

as dante ascends further, he witnesses a cosmic dance of stars. he sees this harmony as another sign that human perfection is only attained when a person’s love aligns with god’s divine love. at the same time, he finds arrogance in those who seek to understand divine mysteries without recognizing the limitations of human comprehension. if wisdom doesn’t serve god’s purpose, it’s wisdom wasted.

as dante ascends through paradiso, he witnesses more examples of divine judgement. he sees the fate of corrupt rulers, showing that earthly status and success are ultimately meaningless. he also sees souls who, despite their flaws, receive divine mercy, showing that god's grace transcends human understanding and there is always hope for imperfect mortals.

as the celestial light intensifies the further along they get and dante becomes more attuned to his surroundings. the spirits here radiate joy. the vision of the greatest souls, those who have fully experienced god's love, fills dante with awe. he learns that true wisdom lies in understanding that each soul plays a part in a larger, interconnected divine plan and those who follow god with true faith, regardless of their time or place on earth, are the ones who find their place in heaven. 

as they reach the seventh sphere, dante contemplates the decline of the monastic way of life. while being a monk used to embody a life of purity and seeking that alignment with god’s will, it has since become corrupted by indulgence. a spirit tells dante that this decline mirrors the decay of the world.

as he ascends through the final sphere, dante's understanding reaches its apex moment. guided now by saint bernard of clairvaux, he witnesses a vision of the virgin mary atop a celestial snow white rose. bernard, who was known for his deep devotion to the virgin mary and his emphasis on the contemplative life as a path to god, encourages him to focus on the eternal light of god and the unity of creation. 

dante then sees three intertwined circles that symbolize perfect unity, harmony, and love. despite the limitations of his human perception, he is deeply moved. he recognizes that everything in existence, from the smallest particle to the grandest celestial sphere, moves according to this eternal power that he has witnessed – god's divine will, unified in love and purpose.

in this chapter of the epic narrative poem the divine comedy by dante alighieri, we see dante start out as a man who has lost his way, longing for his deceased love, beatrice. after losing a fight with three beasts in a forest, he is taken on a journey by the roman poet virgil. he is taken down through the various circles and sub-circles of hell. here he sees that punishment becomes harsher for the worst sinners, with treachery against god and country being the worst of all sins. dante is then taken up through the mountain of purgatory, where he learns to repent for his sins and become purified. at the summit of the mountain he is reunited with beatrice who takes him through the spheres of heaven, where he discovers that the soul’s true goal is to become aligned with god’s will and the perfection of his divine creation, which includes all of humanity and the cosmos.

well, that’s it for this chapter. we hope you enjoyed it. if you can, please take the time to leave us a rating – we always appreciate your feedback. see you in the next chapter!