Dante’s Inferno Symbols Overview
This poem takes place in Hell, which is broken into nine different Circles. The story involves Dante traveling from the outer layers of Hell into the deepest depths where Lucifer resides. Along the way, he experiences the punishments of different sins and explores his own emotions and intellectual quandaries as he reflects on people he knows and sins he is familiar with along his journey. In terms of time, the setting is the year 1300. During this time, there was a lot of political upheaval in Dante’s home of Florence centered around religion and the power of the Pope. This is clearly reflected in the allegory of Dante’s journey through the circles of Hell.
There are four motifs that are enhanced by the symbolism of this poem. They are cities, political arguments, allusions to classical literature, and fame and prestige in human life. These motifs enhance symbolism regarding the struggle with sin and darkness in life. There are aspects of these motifs that threaten to lead a person from a path of virtue and good with temptations to sin. However, there are also encouragements within these motifs than can bring a person closer to a path of lightness, leading them to Heaven and God. This changes based on the context.
Symbols in Dante’s Inferno
Here’s a list of the major symbols in Dante’s Inferno.
- The Journey Through Hell.
- Light and Dark.
- Punishments.
Before diving into the specific symbols found in Inferno, it is important to note that the entire poem is symbolic. As an allegorical work, everything stands in as a symbol for something else.
If we were to dive into the meaning of each and every symbolic aspect of this poem, we would have to write an entire book! To keep things somewhat brief, we will explore three of the major symbolic elements that enhance the poem’s broader themes.
The Journey Through Hell
The Journey Through Hell – This is an aspect of symbolism that can be more appropriately considered an allegorical component of the story, since it is such an abstract concept. Many aspects of the journey are made up by individual instances of symbolism, both big and small. However, there are many references from the start of the poem that refer to Dante’s path and his need to find it and stay on it.
Virgil shows up as a guide for him, to help him stay on his path to Heaven where he will find his beloved Beatrice. This is a symbol of Dante’s journey away from sin and towards God. When Virgil encourages Dante to stay on his path by guiding him through Hell, he is encouraging Dante to stay on a path of virtue in his life.
The impediments that Dante and Virgil experience as they journey through Hell represent the obstacles, temptations, and sins that Dante may encounter during his life. Dante’s ultimate goal of reaching Heaven helps to guide him on his journey, both in Hell and in his life.
Light and Dark
Light and Dark – The juxtaposition of light against dark is a symbol of Heaven vs. Hell, with darkness obviously representing Hell and light representing Heaven and God. Generally, there is not much light experienced by Dante while he is in Hell, with the exception of fire which holds a negative connotation. Darkness also serves to represent uncertainty, fear, and sin.
Dante describes the darkness in times of fear or confusion. For example, the poem begins with Dante in a dark forest. He sees a bright mountaintop and attempts to climb it but is prevented from doing so by three beasts and is forced back into the darkness. He describes being afraid and uncertain about his path.
When Virgil arrives, he informs Dante that he can only reach the light of Heaven by traveling the difficult path through Hell. He promises Dante that his journey through the darkness will lead him to the light of Heaven, however.
The Punishments
The Punishments – The other major symbol is the punishments of the souls in Hell. Each soul is sentenced to an eternal punishment that matches their primary sins on Earth. This speaks to themes of justice and balance, hinting that God is an entity concerned with such matters. God is the enforcer of justice and he creates balance by making realms of Hell to correspond with human sins.
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