Structure Of Hell In Dante's Inferno

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Dante’s structure of hell contradicts contemporary understandings of hell. For example, I’ve never thought of hell as having multiple levels. However, Dante depicts it as having nine different levels, or circles. The suffering at each circle becomes greater as the sins become more severe, with the ninth circle, the circle of treason, inflicting the most suffering. The structure of Dante’s hell as a series of levels moving downward is interesting as it further emphasizes the lack of hope present in hell. This can be seen through Dante the pilgrim’s departure from hell. Although it appears as if Dante had written himself into a hole, I believe the scene can also present the impossibility of leaving hell once you are there. Thus, this structure of hell functions to present the lack of hope available to those who have lived a life of sin. Furthermore, while the general perception of hell involves fire, Dante depicts hell as a pit of ice. This is significant as ice functions to present a rigid-like atmosphere, which I associated with …show more content…
Furthermore, some of the sins he includes are no longer as relevant as more modern sins. For example, I do not agree with his first circle as I refuse to believe God would submit a soul to eternal suffering simply because they did not have the option of baptism. Additionally, I think the perspective on suicide is different today than it was in Dante’s time. This is largely due to a better understanding of mental illness and the factors that drive individuals towards suicide. In fact, the Catechism states, “grave psychological disturbances, anguish, or grave fear of hardship, suffering, or torture can diminish the responsibility of the one committing suicide” (cite here). Therefore, suicide is not always perceived as a mortal sin and would not automatically submit one’s soul to
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