You Might Be in Hell If...

           Inferno leads both Dante and his readers on a journey through the depths of Hell. To reach the light of Heaven and enter into God’s presence, Dante must first see and understand the consequences of sinning. Virgil, a famous poet Dante admires, is called by heavenly authority to briefly leave his place in Limbo and lead Dante through each of the nine rings of Hell. As his guide, Virgil plays a key role in teaching Dante about God’s divine plan of justice and helps direct Dante back onto the “straight and true” (Inf., 1.3). Much like sin on Earth leads us astray as we try to reach God, the overwhelming amount of sin in Hell affects Dante, causing him to doubt God, pity sinners, take pleasure in their pain, and even acquire some of the sins he encounters.

As Dante explores Hell and learns about the sinners trapped in its depths, he is negatively influenced. Dante is often overwhelmed by “pity pressing on [his] heart” when he comes upon sinners he once knew or souls who are in torment because of their punishment (Inf., 13.84). For example, when he sees the twisted bodies of the diviners, Dante weeps at the pain and suffering they are required to endure. Virgil reprimands Dante and explains that “pity lives the best when it is dead” (Inf., 20.28). By pitying the souls, Dante is questioning God’s judgement and His divine justice. In the tenth ditch of Malebolge, located in the eighth circle, Dante encounters a liar and a counterfeiter arguing. As they bicker about who the worst sinner is and who committed more heinous acts on Earth, Dante finds himself “entirely fixed upon those two” (Inf., 30.130).  Noticing Dante’s fascination with the two souls, Virgil admonishes him. Dante is ashamed and embarrassed and profusely apologizes to his teacher. Instead of directing pious indignation toward these souls, Dante listens to their lies and has an attitude of delight like the demons. As Virgil and Dante continue to descend, they enter the ninth circle, specifically Ptolomea, which houses souls who betrayed guests. These traitors experience repentance, but their tears freeze whenever they attempt to express their sorrow. One of the souls begs Dante to clear the layer of icy tears off of his face so that he can “vent the grief [his] heart has soaked [him] with, / one moment, till the tears freeze up again” (Inf., 33.113-114). Dante agrees, but the soul must first share his name with Dante and Virgil. After the sinner reveals his identity and how he was relegated to Hell, he asks Dante once more to clear his eyes. Refusing, Dante claims “to be villainous to him was a courtesy,” (Inf., 33.150). Dante assumes the particular sin associated with the ninth ring and becomes a traitor himself.  

Because of his harmful environment and the absence of God, Dante is able fall into temptation and sin more easily. An individual’s environment profoundly affects him and encourages him to assume the behavior of the people around him. For example, being exposed to profane music invites inappropriate words to take root in one’s mind and sometimes even causes one to verbalize this profanity. Watching a television show that includes blatant disrespect or a hateful attitude leads viewers to display these harsh actions towards others. The people one is around and the information he puts into his mind has a direct impact on his heart. Because Dante hears the sinners’ lies and is in the presence of traitors, he finds himself behaving similarly or having an ungodly reaction. Hell is a place without God and goodness, thus Dante is overwhelmed by evil. Though Virgil is Dante’s teacher and supposed to “set [Dante] free” and “help him,” Dante is surrounded by Hell’s darkness (Inf., 2.68-69). He succumbs to temptation because light, which helps one see clearly and make choices that are aligned with God’s will, is absent in Hell. Although Dante becomes increasingly sinful the deeper he travels, he has the chance to experience more grace and redemption from God. Dante is tarnished by his sin, but his shortcomings are completely removed, relieving him of a great burden. His cleansing in Purgatory is evident when he is able to “wash his face of all Hell’s grime, and all its dust” before he begins the climbing the mountain (Purg., 1.95-96).

Because Dante travels through each of the nine rings of Hell and is affected by sin, he is no longer blind to the consequences of sin and can proceed to Purgatory, and eventually to Paradise. The punishments as well as the absence of God in Hell are horrifying, but Dante eventually realizes they are a result of God’s divine plan for justice. Instead of doubting God or insulting Him by feeling sorry for the people who chose to disobey Him on Earth, Dante begins to express piety. He grows as a person, trusts God, and learns to “arm [himself] with fortitude” against even the most sinful creature (Inf., 34.21). By linking his own experiences with all of humanity, Dante demonstrates that one must not allow sin to drag him into a dark wilderness, a path that eventually leads to Hell. Instead, he must turn “back to the world of light” (Inf., 34.134).