“Midway upon the journey of our life
I found myself within a forest dark,
For the straightforward pathway had been lost.”
Perhaps the greatest poet of the European medieval cannon, Dante Alighieri is remembered in his native Italy as il Sommo Poeta (the supreme poet). His legacy to Italian literature and language is best compared with Shakespeare’s and English; however, unlike Shakespeare Dante is best known for a single work rather than the entirety of his oeuvre. His magnum opus, the Divine Comedy is one of the most influential books ever published, it has permeated pop culture and inspired great art for over 700 years.
Born in Florence in c. 1265, Dante Alighieri (mononymously known simply as Dante) was a poet and statesman. Like many prominent Florentines, Dante was embroiled in the conflict between Guelphs and Ghibellines (1216-1392), ultimately resulting in his Exile from his beloved Florence in 1302. Dante’s exile is often cited as the catalyst for his Divine Comedy, in which many of those who condemned him are sentenced to damnation in Hell. The Divine Comedy is trisected along the boundaries of Hell (Inferno), Purgatory (Purgatorio), and Heaven (Paradiso). This article is exclusively concerned with the first section, Inferno.
Inferno is an incredibly detailed depiction of the superabound issues of contemporary society, it is also a masterpiece of literature inspired by Roman and Greek mythology, Christian and Islamic theology, and Dante’s morality, resentments, and loves.
Inferno follows the journey of Dante through hell, guided by the Roman poet Virgil (Aeneid). Throughout their arduous voyage, Dante encounters numerous historical and mythological figures consigned to Hell for various transgressions.
Dante’s interpretation of Hell is described as nine concentric circles, with each progressive step deepening, and increasing in wickedness from Limbo to Treachery. Unlike the contemporary image of fire and brimstone, the centre of Dante’s Hell is completely frozen with a hideous, giant, winged, and three-headed Satan engulfed in ice to mid-breast at its centre.
Like the subject of other texts in this series, the difficulty and ultimately the reader’s experience of the text can be significantly affected by the translation ‒ particularly intelligible and enjoyable translations of Inferno (to the contemporary palate) include Ciaran Carson’s (2002) and Charles Eliot Norton’s (1892).
For those who enjoy Inferno or the Divine Comedy more generally, although harder to obtain in translation, Dante’s other poetical works (particularly La Vita Nuova), whilst not as politically or religiously charged are exceptional. Additionally, the works of other Italian late medieval and early renaissance writers such as Francesco Petrarch, Giovanni Boccaccio, and Ludovico Ariosto (especially Orlando Furioso) capture a lot of Dante’s brilliance and are certainly worth a read.
“We mounted up, he first and I the second,
Till I beheld through a round aperture
Some of the beauteous things that Heaven doth bear;
Thence we came forth to rebehold the stars.”
This review of Inferno by Dante Alighieri is the eighth instalment of a fortnightly series called 50 Books. The series shines a spotlight on classical literature from throughout history and all over the world. If you have suggestions for future instalments comment and let me know.
Next time: The next section of the Divine Comedy, Dante’s Purgatorio.
Words by Luke Horwitz
Want more Books content from The Indiependent? Click here!
Support The Indiependent
We’re trying to raise £200 a month to help cover our operational costs. This includes our ‘Writer of the Month’ awards, where we recognise the amazing work produced by our contributor team. If you’ve enjoyed reading our site, we’d really appreciate it if you could donate to The Indiependent. Whether you can give £1 or £10, you’d be making a huge difference to our small team.