Dante's Inferno: Consequence of Sin in Modern Times

For centuries, many humans have thrived on the idea of an everlasting salvation, in other words, Heaven. Several religions, including Christianity, use Heaven as an incentive to avoid sin and avidly follow God’s law. The idea of an everlasting salvation could not exist if there were not also the idea of eternal damnation. Because there is a reward for a person’s loyalty to God, the opposite must also be true; betraying God by committing sins will result in a soul’s eternal suffering in Hell. In the Inferno from the Divine Comedy Dante Alighieri uses symbols to emphasize the dangers of sin.

A person’s actions are a reflection of the society in which they live. Every day, humans are influenced by several outside factors such as music, television, and other humans. When a child is born, they are a blank canvas waiting to be painted, and society is the artist. Society evolves the way a person thinks, which in turn determines the way a person acts, because all human actions are driven by emotions. During the Medieval Ages, Christianity was the predominant religion of Rome. Religion, specifically Christianity, played a crucial role in the governing of medieval society. As a Roman, religion played a major role in Dante Alighieri’s life. His strong Christian beliefs influenced his literary work by altering his overall idea of sin, his decisions of whom to place in Hell, and each sinners corresponding punishment (Burge). Dante’s idea of sin is when a person acts against God. Those who are placed in Hell are those who commit acts that offend or betray God. Dante also places Brutus in Hell because as a Roman Dante loved Caesar, and the Roman people despised Brutus for his involvement in the murder of Julius Caesar. Although Brutus did not a...

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...amount to the satisfaction a human obtains when they are rewarded for avidly following God; an eternal salvation.

Works Cited

Bloom, Harold, ed. ""Elements of Dark Humor in Dante's Divine Comedy"." Bloom's Literature. Facts On File, Inc. Web.

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Burge, James. “Dante: Reason And Religion.” History Today 61.3 (2011): 10-15. Academic Search Complete. Web.

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"Purgatory, Idea of." The Middle Ages: An Encyclopedia for Students. Ed. William Chester Jordan. Vol. 4. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1996. 1-2. World History in Context. Web.

Rudd, Jay. "Inferno: Cantos 31–34." Bloom's Literature. Facts On File, Inc. Web.