Dante’s Inferno

Unit 5, Lecture 2: The Inferno: I-V

Allegorical “Architecture” of Dante’s Afterworld

• Built on Medieval Views of Astronomy and Geography:– Nine celestial spheres circle the earth– Earth divided into Northern and Southern Hemispheres

• Physical Architecture of The Comedy– Hell is a “funnel” in the Northern Hemisphere– Purgatory is a mountain rising up from the Southern

Hemisphere’s waters– Heaven is “distributed” among the 9 spheres

• Allegorical Architecture of The Comedy– Hell, purgatory, and heaven as forms of love– Hell=love perverted– Purgatory=love misdirected– Heaven=love completed

Structure of Dante’s Cosmos

“Drama of the Soul’s Choice: A Literal and Allegorical Trip through

the Inferno• Canto 1: Lost in a woods, a soul’s fearful “wakeup” call

– Literal Story (1)• Sleepy awakening in a dark woods:• Sunlit hill blocked by three beasts

– Allegorical meaning (1)• Dante=The “backslidden” soul• Dark Woods=confusing darkness of sin

– The Hill=the upward climb of repentance– Three Beasts=powerful habit

» The Leopard of Self-indulgence» The Lion of violence» The Wolf of fraud

– Literal Story (2)• Dante meets Virgil• Virgil: Escape must lie through infernal regions

– Allegorical Meaning (2) • Virgil represents both classical culture and reason• Virgil as “reason” symbolizes the end of “denial.” • Virgil/Reason cannot “cure” sin or “

Literal Story & Allegorical Meaning in Cantos II-IV

• Canto II: Virgil’s Visitor, the outreach of grace– Literal Story:

• Beatrice “commissioned” the journey– Allegorical Meaning

• Beatrice as “god-bearing” image of Divine Grace• Divine grace is “passionless” but seeks out the sinner

• Canto III: Hell’s Vestibule– Literal Story

• Wasp stung runners chasing an elusive banner• Eager sinners waiting on Charonn’s boat

– Allegorical Meaning• The “banner chasers” represent opportunism• The eager souls represent sin’s illusion• Charon represents the loss of illusion

• Canto IV: Limbo, the first circle:– Literal Story

• Limbo the place of deserving unbaptized• Dante meets the great of antiquity

– Allegorical Meaning• Pagan learning is incomplete• Reason as “the failure of the imagination

Literal and Allegorical Story, Canto V

• Canto V, Circle 2, lust in the driver’s seat– Literal Story:

• The “funnel” shape of hell:• The circle of the lustful and its shattering wind• Glimpses of Helen, Paris, Dido• Tragic tale of Paolo and Francesca

– Allegorical meaning• The funnel as “shape” of increasing sin• The gale-like winds as picture of uncontrolled passion.• Dante’s “fainting” as softness towards temptation