The Structure: Three Realms, 100 Cantos The poem has three parts: Inferno (Hell), Purgatorio (Purgatory), and Paradiso (Paradise). Each part has 33 cantos, plus an introductory canto. The total is 100. The number three represents the Trinity. The number ten represents perfection. The structure is mathematical. It is also spiritual.
Inferno: The Map of Hell Hell is a funnel. It has nine circles. The circles are arranged by sin. The least severe sins are at the top. The most severe are at the bottom. The first circle is Limbo. It holds the virtuous pagans: Virgil, Homer, and Socrates. They are not baptized. They cannot enter heaven. They are not tortured. They sigh. The second circle holds the lustful. They are blown by winds. The third holds the gluttonous. They lie in mud. The fourth holds the greedy. They push rocks. The fifth holds the wrathful. They fight in the Styx. The sixth holds the heretics. They burn in tombs. The seventh holds the violent. They are boiled in blood. The eighth holds the fraudulent. They are whipped. The ninth holds the traitors. They are frozen in ice. At the center is Lucifer, frozen up to his waist. He chews on Judas, Brutus, and Cassius. The Inferno is terrifying. It is also beautiful.
The Contrapasso: The Punishment Fits the Sin Dante invents the contrapasso: the punishment fits the sin. The lustful are blown by winds because they were blown by passion. The fortune-tellers walk with their heads backward because they tried to see the future. The hypocrites wear heavy lead cloaks because they wore heavy lies. The contrapasso is poetic. It is also just.
Purgatorio: The Mountain of Hope Purgatory is a mountain. It has seven terraces. The sins are the same as Hell, but the punishment is different. The proud carry stones on their backs. The envious have their eyes sewn shut. The wrathful walk in smoke. The slothful run constantly. The greedy lie on the ground. The gluttonous starve. The lustful burn in fire. In Purgatory, the souls know that they will be saved. They sing. They hope. The mountain is hard. It is also joyful.
Paradiso: The Light of God Paradise is the hardest part of the poem. It is abstract. It is theological. It is also beautiful. Dante is guided by Beatrice. She explains the nature of the moon, the planets, and the stars. The souls are arranged in spheres. The highest sphere is the Empyrean. It is pure light. Dante sees God as three circles. He understands. He cannot describe. He says that his words fail. The poem ends.
Beatrice: The Love That Moves the Sun Beatrice was a real woman. Dante saw her twice. She died young. He loved her all his life. In the poem, she is the symbol of divine love. She guides Dante through Paradise. She is beautiful, intelligent, and severe. She corrects him. She teaches him. She loves him. At the end, she returns to her sphere. Dante watches her go. He writes the poem to keep her alive.
Conclusion: “The Divine Comedy” is a poem about everything. It is about sin, redemption, love, and God. It is also about Dante. He was a man who lost his way. He found it. He wrote the poem to show others the path. The path is hard. The path is worth it.
