What Does The Woods Symbolize Dante's Inferno

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In The Divine Comedy, written by Dante Alighieri, Dante goes on a journey with Virgil, his guide. He visits The inferno, Purgatory and Paradise. He does this because he needs get back on the right path of life. Going through all circles of hell, Dante slowly starts to encounter sin after sin. As he goes on, he gains wisdom about Gods love and how sin can disguise itself. Dante’s first experience that Alighieri puts him through, is through the woods. The woods symbolize Dante’s life and he goes down a wrong path of the woods, (The wrong path of life). This is where Dante meets Virgil, who is sent from the first circle of hell to be Dante’s guide for freedom of sin. Alighieri made Dante the character, to be a lost soul in his gifts and what potential he has and how he’s wasting it by not following the path of God, but the path of philosophy. As Dante enters the first few circles of Hell, he is concerned for those who have been sent here by God. Dante is confused because to him it makes no sense for these people to be put through so much pain and suffering. He starts to have sorrow. Virgil tries to explain to him that God did this for their good and for good reason. Dante is still having trouble understanding, until he recognizes a familiar face. When he sees him, he calls out “May you weep and wail for all eternity, for I know you, Hell-dog, filthy as you are.” As he pushes him back with the other sinners. This is the start to Dante finally understanding why these sinners are here. Virgil then congratulates him for understanding. Alighieri made …show more content…

Dante starts out as a prideful writer and has wasted his potential on worldly things, to being one with God and understanding that the things of this world are too small to walk after. God is for eternity and will always have answers and always have to right path. Dante returns to earth as a new soul, after

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