Inferno: The Structure and Themes of Dante's Hell
La Divina Commedia struttura pdf reveals the intricate design of Dante's Inferno. The first part of the Divina Commedia is structured as a deep, funnel-shaped abyss created by the fall of Lucifer, the angel who rebelled against God. This infernal cavity formed when the Earth itself recoiled from Lucifer, who ended up at the point furthest from God, at the center of the Earth and the universe.
Highlight: Opposite to the abyss of Hell is the mountain of Purgatory, creating a symmetrical structure in Dante's cosmology.
The Inferno is composed of nine circles, each smaller than the last as they descend towards the center. Before entering the first circle, souls encounter the Antinferno, where the Ignavi (the indifferent) reside, excluded from judgment as they are without fault or merit.
Structure: Inferno's nine circles:
- Limbo: Unbaptized children and virtuous pagans
2-5. The Incontinent: Sinners of excess (lust, gluttony, greed, wrath)
- Heretics
- The Violent (three rings)
- The Fraudulent (ten bolgie or ditches)
- The Traitors (four zones)
Definition: La legge del contrappasso (Law of Retribution) is the principle by which sinners in Hell suffer punishments that contrast with or mirror their earthly sins.
Quando è stata scritta la Divina Commedia: Dante began writing the Inferno in 1307 and completed it in 1308. The entire journey through Hell, Purgatory, and Paradise is set during Holy Week of 1300, the year of the Jubilee declared by Pope Boniface VIII.
Vocabulary: Terzina dantesca (Dantean tercet) - A verse form consisting of three lines of eleven syllables each, with an interlocking rhyme scheme (ABA BCB CDC, etc.).
A chi si ispira Dante per scrivere la Divina Commedia: Dante chose the Roman poet Virgil as his guide through Hell and Purgatory, considering him an illustrious master and a representation of human reason.