THE DIVINE COMEDYDANTE ALIGHIERI

“ABANDON ALL HOPE, YE WHO ENTER HERE.”

OVERVIEW SUBJECT: MAN’S INVETERATE DEVIATION FROM THE

PATH OF GOD: THE HUMAN DRAMA CHRISTIAN ALLEGORY LANGUAGE: VERNACULAR ITALIAN, NOT LATIN LYRIC POEM:

3 CANTICLES (SECTIONS)100 CANTOS (DIVISION OF A LONG POEM)

INFERNO: 34 (1 CANTO ON EARTH)PURGATORIO: 33PARADISO: 33

RHYME SCHEME: TERZA RIMAABA BAB CBC DCD

THE INFERNO SETTING: A SERIES OF DAYS IN

1300, BEGINNING WITH GOOD FRIDAY PRINCIPAL CHARACTERS: DANTE,

VIRGIL (AUTHOR OF THE AENEID), BEATRICE (SHE WHO BLESSES)

THEME: DESPAIR TO HOPEDIVINE PUNISHMENT VS. HUMAN FRAILTY

MIDWAY IN HIS JOURNEY THROUGH LIFE AT THE AGE OF 35, DANTE FINDS HIMSELF LOST IN THE DARK WOOD OF ERROR. THERE HE ENCOUNTERS 3 FRIGHTENING CREATURES:

THE LEOPARD THE LION THE SHE-WOLF

DANTE’S JOURNEY BEGINS

THE LEVELS OF THE INFERNO LIMBO (NEITHER IN NOR

OUT OF HELL) CARNAL SINS GLUTTONY PRODIGALITY AND

AVARICE WRATH AND GLOOM HERESY VIOLENCE (ALSO

SUICIDE)

SEDUCTION, FLATTERY, HYPOCRISY, THEFT

FRAUD: SCANDALMONGERY, LYING, FORGERY, COUNTERFEITING, ALCHEMY

TREACHERY: SATAN AND TRAITORS

9 CIRCLES WITHINHELL ITSELF

HELL IS A FUNNEL-SHAPED CAVE WITH ITS BOTTOM AT THE EARTH’S CENTER. FROM THE DARK WOOD OF ERROR, DANTE FIRST COMES TO THE VESTIBULE.WITHIN HELL ITSELF, HE MUST CROSS THE RIVERS DESCRIBED IN THE MYTHOLOGICAL UNDERWORLD SUCH AS STYX AND PHLEGETON AS HE TRAVELS THROUGH THE UPPER AND LOWER REGIONS OF THIS INCREASINGLY TERRIFYING PLACE.

WHOM WILL DANTE MEET ON HIS JOURNEY?

FIGURES FROM MYTHOLOGY IN ADDITION TO LOCATIONS MENTIONED IN CLASSICAL WORKS

CHARACTERS FROM OLD AND WELL-KNOWN STORIES

FIGURES FROM THE BIBLE CHURCH OFFICIALS OF THE PRESENT (1300)

AND RECENT HISTORY POLITICAL FIGURES OF THE PRESENT AND

RECENT HISTORY

WHAT WILL WE LEARN FROM DANTE AS WE ACCOMPANY HIM ON HIS JOURNEY?

RELIGIOUS DOCTRINE OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH OF THE MIDDLE AGES

HIS VIEWS ON POLITICS CLASSICAL MYTHOLOGY VIEWS OF HEROES AND CHARACTERS

FROM THE ANCIENT WORLD HIS VIEWS ON THE NATURE OF SIN AND

WHICH SINS ARE MORE SERIOUS THAN OTHERS

THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS

THE SEVEN DEADLY SINSTHE SEVEN HOLY VIRTUES

PRIDE AVARICE LUST ENVY GLUTTONY WRATH SLOTH

HUMILITY LIBERALITY CHASTITY KINDNESS ABSTINENCE PATIENCE DILIGENCE