Reflections on Dante's Divine Comedy

It has been a while since I last posted but nothing has really sparked me until today. Last year I was able to take a class on Dante's Divine Comedy. The text is divided into three equal parts: Inferno (hell), Purgatorio (purgatory), and Paradiso (heaven). As we read and followed Dante's journey through hell, purgatory, and heaven, I noticed very vivid imagery, which is quite thought-provoking. Dante's image of hell is much different than most people's because it is a place of extreme cold. There are nine circles of hell in which different punishments are imposed on historical figures prior to Dante and even some of Dante's contemporaries.

The last circle is where the devil is and he is stuck in a frozen lake. The devil is pictured as a rather ugly winged creature who is perpetually flapping his wings causing his own trap. This circle of hell is where those who commit the sin of betrayal are found. There are three men who are found within this circle along with the devil and they are a mix of religious and political figures. Judas Iscariot, the betrayer of Christ, is found in the devil's mouth, as well as Brutus and Cassius, the men who betrayed Caesar. The lack of movement in hell is very much opposed to the rapid movement that is later written about in heaven.

In the office of readings the past few days we have been reading from the book of Exodus, more specifically the story of the ten plagues. The obstinance that Pharaoh shows is very similar to that of the people that are found in Dante's vision of hell. Many of the shades (Dante's word for those in hell) gloat in their actions, whereas those in purgatory are continually asking for prayers. There are times when our obstinacy towards God can have the same effect and we cannot grow closer to Him.

Dante's vision of heaven is one that is in constant motion. He uses the analogy of the solar system to show how the closer we are to God, the faster we move because we have less obstacles to traverse in order to get to Him. This has given me some time to think about how sometimes I get caught up in following that which does not fulfill me and leads me closer to a frozen lake. The entire text of the Inferno awakened me to the reality of eternal physical and spiritual torment and I am thankful for having taken the chance to read the Divine Comedy.