Dante Alighieri's The Inferno Analysis

One of the most brilliantly written poems of all time, Dante Alighieri’s The Inferno transcends the time it was written in and applies to all centuries. It accurately speaks to the core of human sinfulness and the result of it. Although it does have some time-bound portions, such as the meaning of impersonation and the definition of suicide as a sin, The Inferno for the most part details sins that remain ubiquitous today. Furthermore, the overall lessons passed on by The Inferno about sin and its consequences still apply to the lives of people today as they did centuries ago. Despite the few aspects of the novel that no longer have the same meaning, Dante Alighieri’s The Inferno has withstood the test of time with the described sins and messages it attempts to convey, both of which stay relevant to this day. …show more content…

Murder, for example, has been committed by many since the dawn of humankind. Despite the horrible nature of the sin, murder still occurs today, especially in a world where acts of terrorism seemingly take place every other day. Dante includes this sin in The Inferno, placing it into the first zone of the circle of violence. Secondly, Dante wrote that Grafters are a class of sinners that suffer in the eighth circle of Hell. Perhaps more so than ever, many corrupt politicians use their positions to make monetary or other types of gains just as they did in the 1300s. Counterfeiting remains a third example of the sins that still occur just as they did in Dante’s time. With the aid of the internet and the Dark Web, counterfeiting has grown ever larger, with many people looking to create false money or identification. The state of each of these sins as relevant today points to the conclusion that The Inferno still applies to today’s society. Although some examples of sins which no longer apply appear in the poem, most sins Dante included have withstood the test of