Examples Of Allegory In Dante's Inferno

Allegory

(A Discussion of Reflective Allegory in Circles of Hell Within Dante’s, Inferno) In the study of Dante’s, Inferno, one must consider the historical significance of the text to understand the allegorical nature of the poem. At the time that Dante wrote this story, he had recently been exiled from his homeland of Florence, Italy. This story was his attempt to gain fame and exact a form of written revenge on those who had wronged him. What better way to scare those that exiled him than create an actual in depth description of Hell. Dante’s Hell revolves around the concept of different circles for certain sins, with respective punishments. Jonathan Crane tells, “Dante uses allegory to relate the sinner's punishment to his sin,” (Crane).

Essentially, those who lived lives of lust are cast about in an eternal, raging storm, much like their emotions and coursing agendas throughout life. Dante describes this storm, “Here, there, up, down, they whirl and, whirling, strain with never a hope of hope to comfort them, not of release, but even of less pain” (59). At this time when church power was at an all time high, adultery was considered a terrible sin, rather than modern society when it is a common aspect of everyday life. As a direct reflection of an adulterous lifestyle, this circle does a fantastic job of creating a terrifying fate for carnal lovers without repentance. Dante does make a clear distinction with this circle between those that acted in love and lust. “The line separating lust from love is crossed when one acts on this misguided desire,”(Daugherty). To desire is to be human, but to pursue misguided lust is certain

Within this circle, all fortune tellers have their heads twisted backwards, so as they can only see behind them. “For the face was reversed on the neck, and they came on backwards, staring backwards at their loins, for to look before them was forbidden,” (175). This of course is a simple allegory reversing the life of a fortune teller who always looks ahead to the future. In death, they are only allowed to look behind them and never see ahead. “The fortune tellers and diviners merely walk around their round (no demons are needed to lash them), but their necks are twisted backwards so that their eyes drop tears on their backsides,” (Johnson). It is made clear that these shades have no need for demons to further antagonize them, as this is punishment enough. While I personally have not interacted with fortune tellers or hoped to be one, I find this a very ironic allegory that is very creative on Dante’s