An Interpretation of Dante's Inferno through Neil Gaiman's Sandman

Dante Alighieri's Inferno is one of the classic works of Western Literature. Like all great works, it is a corner stone for that which follows. One such work is Neil Gaiman's Sandman, which takes Dante's concept of Hell and contorts and plays with it to an almost absurd degree. At first glance the product appears to be extremely different. In actuality it is a hidden portal to a new meaning of Dante's Inferno.

Dante the pilgrim wakes up in the Dark Wood of Error without knowing how he got there. He tries to get to the Mount of Joy, but cannot, as the Leopard of Malice and Fraud, the Lion of Violence and Ambition, and the She-Wolf of Incontinence guard it. He cannot get passed them, so Beatrice, Dante's love, sends Virgil, who represents Human Reason, to come to help him, for man cannot get through Hell without the aid of Human Reason. Apparently, Dante thinks that the intellect can keep one from sinning. However, Human Reason can only get man to Purgatory. Man needs Divine Love to reach Heaven.

Dante passes through the gate of Hell, which reads, "Abandon all hope ye who enter here (Dante 42)." At the end of his journey, Dante comes to realize what that means. As Dante descends through each level of Hell, he sees how every sinful act is punished accordingly. He passes by the Opportunists, who were neither for good or bad. Because they chose neither, they are placed in neither Hell nor Heaven. The Carnal are eternally whirled around, just as in life, the souls were led by their emotions. These punishments are everlasting. This is the meaning of the inscription, " Abandon all hope ye who enter here (Dante 42)." Dante goes though the Inferno and learns what eternal torture is. The souls he meets in torment will never receive ...

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...ope is only possible for those who are able to change. Dante isn't writing a discourse on Catholic dogma. He isn't merely writing what eternal punishments those who sin will receive. Rather, he is writing a discourse on human nature and the nature of sin. The question isn't whether Dante the poet actually believes in eternal punishment. Dante believes that it is in human nature not to change one's habits and own up to one's mistakes. If one can overcome this all-too human predilection then there is hope.

Works Cited

Alighieri, Dante. The Inferno. Trans. Ciardi. Penguin Books, New York, 1982.

Gaiman, Neil. Preludes and Nocturnes. (Originally published in single magazine form as

The Sandman 1-8) DC Comics. New York, 1991.

----------. Season of Mists. (Originally published in single magazine form as The Sandman

21-28) DC Comics, New York, 1992.