Dante’s Inferno is a very interesting poem, composed of extremely descriptive cantos, telling a story of a man’s journey through the nine different levels of hell. In this story, the reader meets people from every period of time and learns the different reasons for each person “earning” their spot in the forsaken place called Hell. The various sins described in this story all deserve different consequences. For example, the people who allowed lust, known in this story as “the flesh”, ruin their lives are carried around recklessly by the wind. The consequences given are nowhere near merciful.
While reading this poem though, I realized that it can be used for self-improvement. Being a Christian (Baptist) personally, I don’t think of hell in this manner. A person who believes this poem though might watch what they say and do, not only to themselves but to others as well. The people in Canto V, who let their lust get the best of them, took down the ones who participated. This includes the lady, Francesca, who slept with her brother-in-law. The brother-in-law was being punished right along with her. The believing reader might “play it safe” and make sure not to let “the flesh” play a role in their decision making process.
In hell, there is also a place for the individuals who commit the sin of “avarice and extravagance”, as Dante calls it. These people spend excessive amounts of money with no particularly good cause. Their punishment is to push boulders back and forth in a circle. Once they reach one side, they turn around and go the other way. A reader might think about spending their money wisely after this part of the canto. Dante goes on to tell about the individuals who “submit to anger.” These people are kept in a river of muck, called Styx, and are continuously fighting each other.
With these many different sins in mind, one might decide to do a self-reflection. Creating a better life based on Dante’s Inferno might be the way to go.
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