Symbolism In Dan Brown's Inferno

Italy is known for its architectural achievements, beautiful constructed arches and domes which have inspired and influenced designs in many other countries. In Dan Brown’s novel, Inferno, the city Venice is portrayed in a blissful way through Robert Langdin’s encounters with the monuments, the city’s character, and the people. Dan Brown’s knowledge of literature and history vividly described which allow us, the reader, to relive each scene’s emotions and brings the book to life. The main spots in Venice were described in great detail with metaphors and personification. Saint Marks Basilica and Doge’s place mentioned in the book in detail are the main points of interest in Venice. As a tourist one would usually visit these historical places in Venice. Dan Brown uses a lot of imagery to describe the Byzantine architecture, and Gothic style of both these destinations. He leads the reader on a journey of Italy’s history which makes the reader want to gravitate to these lovely places and experience the global cultural city of Venice.

Robert Langdon boards a train, the Frecciargento which was bound for Venice, La Serenissima, and arrives at Santa Lucia Station. On the train, he discusses Dante’s medieval verses with Sienna and Dr. Ferris:

“Seek the treacherous doge of Venice who served the heads from horses… and plucked up the boned of the blind” (275).

These phrases allude to the city Venice where there may be a doge’s grave somewhere. “The doges of Venice were similar to the dukes of the other Italian city-states, and more than a hundred of them rules Venice over the course of a thousand years, beginning in A.D. 697. Their lineage had ended in the late eighteenth century with Napoleon’s conquest…” (276). The poem continues:...

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...he 1860’s has become part of a new kingdom of Italy. Venice’s architecture and buildings have produced conservation efforts that retain a great sense of atmosphere but flooding and pollution remains a problem. Many movies were shot in Venice, one of my favorites, The Italian Job. It is a city where people from all over the world come to enjoy, appreciate, and educate themselves. Dante’s midevil poem: “I am the shade” alludes to hell by the utilization of the word “shades” and “dolent”city where he will die and use as a city for the extinction of human kind. This is ironic to me because Italy is the country of love. I believe Zobrist chose Italy as a main target because of this. “Zobrist believed wholeheartedly in Transhumanism—in bettering the species through technology; however, he also believed our species would go extinct before we got a chance to do that” (295).