Punishment In Dante's Inferno

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Undoubtedly, the underlying theme that resonates throughout the first part of Dante’s Divine Comedy is the notion that all worldly sins against God are balanced by punishment in Hell. In Dante’s eyes, crimes committed against God and Christianity are destined to be penalized with some type of corresponding retribution. This so-called symbolic retribution is vital to the theme of Inferno, because it provides imagery and symbolism of God’s judgement and power. For example, the Gluttonous are showered with sewage and excrement, representing how they showered themselves in life’s pleasures during their time on earth, and the Heretics lie in open flaming tombs to symbolize how they claimed a mortal spirit. Especially the latter punishment illustrates …show more content…

In other words, God was moved by justice to create a place that punishes people with varying levels of torture, pain and agony in order to balance out the sins, in Dante’s opinion. This is proven when we see that the punishments which sinners receive are comparable and corresponding to what sin they committed. An interesting part of the inscription is the “primal love supernal.” Although it does not seem like it at first, Dante is implying that God’s judgement in founded in love and compassion. Justice in Hell is not simply cruel punishment for the sake of being cruel, but rather shows God’s justice for those who have done wrong in their life. Heaven represents God’s mercy and forgiveness of sins. Without Hell, there would be no motive not to sin in an earthly life, so by punishing those who sin God creates a pretty compelling motive not to sin. This in turn brings him closer to his goal of a world without

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