1. The Divine Comedy Dante Alighieri

2. The Divine Comedy Written between 1308 and 1321 Central epic poem of Italian literature Divided into three parts Inferno (Hell) Purgatorio (Purgatory) Paradiso (Paradise) Represents the journey of the soul toward God

3. Inferno Divided into 9 circles of suffering First Circle – Limbo Unbaptized and virtuous pagans Not bad people, but no hope for reconciliation Second Circle – Lust Souls blown about by violent storm

4. Inferno (cont.) Third Circle – Gluttons Those who loved food Fourth Circle – Avaricious and Prodigal Avaricious – hoarded possessions Prodigal – squandered possessions The Fifth Circle – Wrathful Don’t fight!

5. Inferno (cont.) Sixth Circle – Heretics Rejection of beliefs of a religious body Seventh Circle – Violent Broken into three rings Outer Ring – violent against people and property Middle Ring – Suicides Inner Ring – violent against God, violent against nature, violent against order

6. Inferno (cont.) Eighth Circle – Fraudulent Guilty of a deliberate evil Ninth Circle – Traitors Those who betray someone in a special relationship

7. Purgatorio Tells of a climb up a mountain where there is much spiritual growth

8. Paradiso Heaven! Tells of Dante’s vision of heaven