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Dante's Inferno Literary Analysis Essay

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Dante's Inferno Literary Analysis Essay
Inferno by Dante Alighieri, Cultural and Literary Analysis Dante Alighieri’s Inferno is an example of a piece of literature that changed the way people saw things at the time of it’s publication. Even now, this poem is still altering the way people think about Heaven and Hell. This is a very important piece of literature because it explained what happens after death to people during a time when everyone was still trying to decide what to believe. It also includes many aspects of culture such as, beliefs about death, men being more prone to violence, and affection expressed and felt. Alighieri was a very impressive writer. At the time, that Inferno was written (1308-1320), it was not very popular. Inferno went against the extremely …show more content…
In Inferno, they are going on a tour through Hell. Virgil is the tour guide, he was sent by Beatrice, the women Dante loved while he was alive, to show Dante what Hell was like. Virgil is wise and kind, but he will never go to Heaven. This is shown on page 741, “For the Emperor who governs from on high wills I not enter His city, where none may appear who lived like me in rebellion to His law.” Virgil was a pagan, he did not believe in God, because of this, he is forced to live his life in Limbo. Limbo is the middle ground between Heaven and Hell. Dante was a good person who fell upon the wrong path. “My son,” said the gentle master, “here are joined the souls of all who die in the wrath of God, from every country, all of them eager to find their way across the water -- for the goad of Divine Justice spurs them so, their fear is transmitted to desire. Souls who are good never pass this way; therefore, if you hear Charon complaining at your presence, consider what the means,” this is the part of Inferno when Dante and Virgil go through the gates of Hell and meet the ferryman, Charon (p.747). Charon is irritated that Dante is in Hell because he can tell that Dante does not belong there, meaning Dante is too good to be in Hell. Throughout the story, Dante and Virgil face many
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