Dante's Inferno

The number 3 is a motif throughout Dante's Inferno. Dante is referring to the Holy Trinity: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. The significance of 3 has many examples within the book such as: 3 main characters Dante, Virgil and Beatrice, 3 animals represent the 3 divisions in Hell, Satan and the dog Cerberus both have 3 heads.

Dante (literally Dante Alighieri, an Italian poet), a symbol of human kind, strays from the True Way, figuratively meaning that he loses his connection with God, comes to the Dark Wood.

Dante attempts to reach Mount Joy and God's light, but is blocked by 3 animals who represent the 3 divisions in Hell. The leopard of malice and fraud, the lion of violence and ambition and the she-wolf of incontinence.

Virgil, a roman poet and Dante's guide, is the symbol of Human Reason. He says that Dante must go through Hell the Purgatory before he reaches God's light. In paradise Dante will be guided by Beatrice (a symbol of Divine Love) for Human Reason cannot comprehend Heaven.

Dante and Virgil enter the gates of Hell and enter the Vestibule.

Opportunists: They were neither good nor evil, only for themselves. They took no sides - given no place They pursued ways to advantage themselves - chase a banner that's always moving. Sin was darkness - move in darkness Their guilty conscience pursued them - wasps and hornets now pursue them Actions were moral filth - run through worms and maggots

The poets come across Charon the boatman of the Acheron. Charon refuses to take Dante but Virgil forces him stating that it has been willed by God and they are ferried across.

The Virtuous Pagans: Born before the light of Christ or unbaptized, they are only punished with hopelessness.

The Carnal: They betrayed Reason to their appetites. As punishment they are swept forever in the Tempest of Hell. In life they were uncontrolled and in death they can't control themselves either.

The Gluttons: All they ever did was eat and drink and produced nothing but waste. Now they have filth rain on them and Cerberus the three-headed dog tears at them.

The Hoarders & the Wasters: They never moderated their expense and destroyed the light of God by always thinking of money. Now they push the weight of the wealth they hoarded or wasted.

The Wrathful & the Sullen: The wrathful are those who had extreme anger. They are punished by fighting with eachother in the mud. The sullen are those who rejected God's Light. They are punished by being buried in the stinking waters of the Styx, where they see no light.

The poets see Phlegyas, the boatman of the Styx who refuses passage. Virgil forces him and although he is furious, he takes them across the river.

Those who deny immortality dwell here. They taught that the soul dies with the body so they are trapped in an eternal grave in the fiery morgue of God's wrath.

Violent Against Neighbours: Here are all who shed the blood of their fellowmen. As they sought blood shed in life, they are now immersed in a river of boiling blood. They are shot at by a centaur if they emerge.