An Illustrated Tour

Dante's Inferno

This site is an illustrated online edition of Dante's Inferno (also known as Dante's Hell), which is the first book of the Divine Comedy. Abandon all hope all ye who enter here.

The Circles of Hell

A Journey Through Dante's Inferno

Dante's Inferno is a highly symbolic work dealing with themes of sin, salvation, and redemption. Its view of Hell is based on Catholic Christian doctrine at the time of the late Middle Ages and Early Renaissance, the time when Dante wrote his great work. This site interpets the Inferno and provides a gallery of stunning illustrations, a summary and online texts.





Dante's Inferno

The Inferno begins on Good Friday in the year 1300. The poet, 35 years old, has reached middle age according to the standards of the time. He is lost in a deep wood, and unable to find the straight path and harried by allegorical depictions of sin and temptation.

Realizing that he is facing ruin, Dante contemplates suicide, but he is rescued by the spirit of the poet Virgil who conducts him on a journey through Hell. When he enters the gates of hell, Dante sees the famous line "Abandon all hope, ye who enter here". And that is indeed the chief punishment of all the inhabitants of the Inferno: they have no hope of salvation, no hope of release, no hope of any improvement or escape from their punishments.

Virgil guides Dante through the nine circles of Hell. The circle of Hell are concentric. Each deeper level holds worse sinners and greater punishments. The deepest circle of Hell is at the center of the Earth and it is here that the chief sinner, Satan, is held bound in a lake of ice for all eternity.

The sinners that Dante encounters in the Inferno are each punished in a fashion befitting their crime. The most severe punishments are reserved for the residents of the lower depths of Hell.

Later, in his journey to Purgatory, Dante will encounter more sinners. But the sinners in Hell are very different from those in Purgatory; these sinners are not repentent and justify their sins. In their conversations with Dante, the afflicted souls of Hell attempt to justify what they did on earth. Despite their punishments they cannot feel remorse. The residents of Hell also have no knowledge of the present; they can only remember the past. This means that when the Final Judgment comes and time is extinguished they will be consigned to oblivion.

The sinners in Hell are all guilty of one or more of the seven deadly sins. Four of of the circles of hell are devoted to punishing these sins in their varous manifestations. (Circle 2-lust, 3-gluttony, 4-greed, 5-wrath). The remaining circles do not correspond exactly to the seven deadly sins.

The nine circles of Dante's inferno were illustrated by Gustave Dore in a series of classic engravings, which are presented here in full.





The Inferno a panther, nimble, light,
And cover'd with a speckled skin, appear'd With his head held aloft and hunger-mad From out that savage wilderness
a gloomy wood a panther, nimble, light, And cover'd with a speckled skin, appear'd With his head held aloft and hunger-mad From out that savage wilderness
in such dismal plight that perilous road I enter'd on the deep and woody way. Portrait of the author Dante Alighieri
in such dismal plight that perilous road I enter'd on the deep and woody way. Portrait of Dante Alighieri
Abandon All Hope All Ye Who Enter Here Desiring without hope Who sets the world at chance New torments, new tormented souls
All hope abandon ye who enter here Desiring without hope Who sets the world at chance New torments, new tormented souls
Woe to you wicked spirits! hope not
Ever to see the sky again. Gives sentence, and dismisses them beneath When they arrive before the ruinous sweep by that love which carries them along
Woe to you wicked spirits! hope not Ever to see the sky again. Gives sentence, and dismisses them beneath When they arrive before the ruinous sweep by that love which carries them along
Love brought us to one death The Divine Comedy Dante's Inferno Hell
Love brought us to one death Dante's Inferno: 1705.jpg Dante's Inferno: 1805.jpg Dante's Inferno: Hell
Dante's Inferno cruel monster, fierce and strange Upon their emptiness, that substance seem'd Dante's Inferno: 2309.jpg
Upon their emptiness, that substance seem'd cruel monster, fierce and strange Dante's Inferno: 2209.jpg Dante's Inferno: 2309.jpg
The Divine Comedy Gustav Dore Illustrations Gustav Dore Illustrations Hell
Dante's Inferno: 2410.jpg Dante's Inferno: 2711.jpg Dante's Inferno: 2812.jpg Dante's Inferno: 2912.jpg

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Summary

Dante's Inferno, the first book of The Divine Comedy, is a highly symbvolic work full of hidden meaning. Understanding the symbolism as well as the allusions to mythological and historical figures is key to understanding the meaning of this great work.

Circles of Hell

On one level, Dante's Inferno is a nightmare journey through a hellscape. It is also more than this, operating both as a literal description and as metaphor. This guide describes the various circles of hell and their significance..

Dante

Dante Alighieri is recognized as one of the greatest poets. His great work, the Inferno has influenced generations of writers and shaped religious ideas of what hell is like. This is a biography complex man behind the Inferno.

Translations

Translating words from one language to another is relatively easy. The real difficulty is in translating the essence of those words, their beauty arising from a coherent whole from from Italian to English. This site offers three side by side translations from some of the most renowned translators, so you can compare the results.

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