Inferno: Heaven's Chapter

Author: (Italian) Dante Tian Deswong
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2001-05-01
Features: The story of The Divine Comedy is written in the form of medieval allegorical literature. The protagonist of the work is Dante himself. The book is divided into three parts: Hell, Purgatory, and Paradise. It depicts both the dark reality of the human world and the beautiful aspirations for the afterlife. This style, which is neither purely realistic nor purely romantic, is one of the major characteristics of the work. The Divine Comedy is Dante's masterpiece. The story narrates how the protagonist, Dante, at the age of thirty-five, suddenly loses his way and, after wandering aimlessly all night, arrives at the foot of a small hill bathed in dawn. Just as he is about to climb, he is blocked by three beasts (a leopard, a lion, and a wolf). In the midst of danger, the ancient Roman poet Virgil, at the request of Beatrice, comes to rescue him and guides him on a journey through Hell and Purgatory. Later, Beatrice herself leads him through Paradise. The trilogy of Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso records Dante's journey and experiences. The Divine Comedy broadly reflects the social realities of the time, provides an artistic summary of medieval culture, and reveals the dawn of humanist thought from the Renaissance. The story of The Divine Comedy is written in the form of medieval allegorical literature. The protagonist of the work is Dante himself. The book is divided into three parts: Hell, Purgatory, and Paradise. It depicts both the dark reality of the human world and the beautiful aspirations for the afterlife. This style, which is neither purely realistic nor purely romantic, is one of the major characteristics of the work. Paradiso has thirty-three cantos and is written in terza rima. Paradise is a realm of happiness and joy, with a radiant hue. Dante's imagined Paradise consists of the Moon, Mercury, Venus, Sun, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Fixed Stars, Crystal, and the Empyrean (the sphere beyond time and space), all structured according to the Ptolemaic celestial system.