Lecture Notes: Dante Alighieri - Divine Comedy - Inferno

Overview

• Title: Divine Comedy - Inferno
• Author: Dante Alighieri
• Translator: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
• Illustrator: Paul Gustave Doré
• Preparation: Josef Nygrin
• License: Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial License

Structure of the Inferno

• Divided into 34 Cantos
• Begins on Good Friday, 1300
• Ends on the first Sunday after Easter
• Total duration is ten days

Canto 1: Introduction

• Dante finds himself in a dark forest
• Represents the loss of the true path
• Encounters three animals symbolizing different sins and political factions:
  • Panther (Lust)
  • Lion (Pride)
  • She-wolf (Avarice)
• Virgil appears as Dante’s guide
• Themes: Life's journey, sin, and divine intervention

Canto 2: Invocation and Hesitation

• Dante hesitant about journey
• Encouraged by Virgil, inspired by Beatrice

Canto 3: The Gates of Hell

• Inscription: "Abandon all hope, ye who enter here."
• Souls in Hell suffer for eternity
• Charon ferries souls across the river Acheron

Canto 4: Limbo

• First Circle of Hell
• Virtuous non-Christians and unbaptized infants
• Includes: Homer, Socrates, Aristotle

Canto 5: The Lustful

• Second Circle of Hell
• Punishment: Blown about by violent winds
• Notable sinners: Francesca da Rimini and Paolo

Canto 6: The Gluttonous

• Third Circle of Hell
• Punishment: Lie in a vile slush produced by never-ending icy rain
• Cerberus guards the circle

Canto 7: The Avaricious and Prodigal

• Fourth Circle of Hell
• Punishment: Push heavy weights against each other
• Plutus oversees the circle

Canto 8-9: The City of Dis

• Fifth Circle of Hell
• The wrathful and the sullen reside here
• Encounter with Filippo Argenti
• Entering the City of Dis with the help of a divine messenger

Canto 10: The Heretics

• Sixth Circle of Hell
• Punishment: Eternity in flaming tombs
• Farinata degli Uberti

Canto 11: The Seventh Circle

• Introduction to violence against others, self, and God
• Divided into three rounds

Canto 12-17: Violence and Fraud

• Seventh Circle details:
  • Violence against others: River of boiling blood
  • Harpies torment the suicidal
  • Blasphemers lie on burning sand
• Eighth Circle (Malebolge) contains ten malebolges punishing various forms of fraud, including:
  • Seducers
  • Flatterers
  • Simoniacs
  • Diviners
  • Barrators
  • Hypocrites
  • Thieves
  • Evil Counselors
  • Sowers of Discord
  • Falsifiers

Canto 18-30: The Eighth Circle (Malebolge)

• Detailed explorations of each type of fraud
• Unique punishments for each sin

Canto 31: The Giants

• Boundary of the Ninth Circle
• Encounter with Nimrod, Ephialtes, and Antaeus

Canto 32-34: The Ninth Circle (Judecca)

• Traitors punished here
• Divisions: Caina, Antenora, Ptolomea, Judecca
• Center of Hell: Lucifer

Key Themes

• Justice and punishment
• Divine retribution
• Human sin and redemption
• Role of divine guidance through Virgil

Characters

• Dante: The protagonist, a representation of everyman
• Virgil: The guide, symbolizing human reason
• Beatrice: Dante's inspiration, symbolizing divine love
• Lucifer: Represents ultimate evil and treachery

Symbolism

• Each circle of Hell represents a different sin and its associated punishment
• Symbolic retribution: Punishments fit the nature of each sin

Historical and Literary Context

• Written in the early 14th century
• Reflects medieval Christian theology and philosophy
• Integrates classical mythology with contemporary politics

Authors and Contributors

• Dante Alighieri: Author and poet
• Henry Wadsworth Longfellow: Translator
• Paul Gustave Doré: Illustrator known for vivid engravings

Additional Information

• Dante's Life: Born in Florence, involved in political life, exiled
• Longfellow's Contribution: Introduced Dante to an English-speaking audience
• Doré's Illustrations: Enhance the text's vivid descriptions with visual imagery
• Cultural Impact: Considered a literary masterpiece and a foundational work in Italian literature