Looking at Hell Through Dante's Eyes

Fraught with Background  

Unlike the Odyssey, Dante’s Inferno is extremely fraught with background.  Even the structuring of the poem is fraught with background.  Three is an extremely important number in Catholicism (as well as protestant Christianity). Not only is the poem separated into three line stanzas, but one cannot go even a short time without seeing that things in the poem are often grouped in threes.  

The work is filled with references to people.  Understanding these people’s place in history, their sins, and their relationship to Dante is important in order to understand the inferno. 

     

Doesn’t Lean on Background

It is important to note that just because a piece is “fraught with background” does not mean the work leans on background.  Dante’s Inferno does not in any way shape or form lean on background.

The piece is lovely in structure, idea and imagery apart from the background.  The Inferno does not need the background it simply makes it more complex and beautiful.

This adds to the incredible readability of the Inferno.  If the poem needed the background, it would be hard to understand the work without understanding the background. 

This is not simply because the piece is lovely, but also because the ideas of the inferno can stand without leaning on the background.

Bible and Inferno

One could say that the Bible leans more heavily on background than the Inferno.  I see this point.  However, I think this is only the case because most readers drag more presumptions along when reading the Bible than when reading the Inferno. 

One could (if they allowed themselves) read the Bible simply for its amazing poetic and literary accomplishments.  I think most people read the Bible assuming they already know what it says and what it means.  The inferno does not have this problem (or at least not nearly as dramatically).  The Bible (because it is a Religious text) is far more polarizing.