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Meaning And Symbolism In Dante Algheri's The Divine Comedy

Decent Essays

Dante Algheri was a thirteenth century poet and politician who is well known for many works, but most specifically, his long, narrative poem, “The Divine Comedy.” This work is split into three sections, and the first one, “Inferno,” is the story of Dante’s journey through Hell, detailing the trials he faces on the path to salvation and understanding. Throughout this piece, Dante showcases his own opinions of religion, ideals of justice, and the importance of understanding the divine plan. For Dante, justice was a very real concept, a very high moral order that should be followed, especially in regard to human action, and Dante aimed to showcase that people are held accountable for their actions in life, specifically by the most just being in his mind, their own creator. In order for the reader to understand what justice is, they must look at the deeper meaning and symbolism within the character Dante’s journey, and how it correlates to Algheri’s real life experiences. Dante’s “Inferno” relies heavily on symbolism to convey many themes and ides, most notably the symbolism of the journey itself. The journey Dante undertakes symbolizes has climb out of his own Hell, his own sin, and his journey towards God. It isn’t lost to the reader that his start takes place in Inferno, also known as hell, then through Purgatory, and eventually into Paradise, or what is meant to be Heaven. The opening lines of the story begin, “Midway along the journey of our life I woke to find myself in

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