For 800 years, Dante’s Inferno has seared itself into the psyche of the Western imagination. It’s the first poem in The Divine Comedy, a trilogy in which protagonist Dante is lost in exile and searching for home. To escape his exile, Dante has to descend into the depths of Hell, climb the mountain of Purgatory, and ascend into Paradise.
What exactly is the point of touring Heaven, Hell, and Purgatory?
This story isn’t mere medieval fan-fiction, as some modern critics claim, rather Dante is mapping a path of the human soul’s search for salvation. Dante’s horrifying genius is this — if you want to live a meaningful life, you have to brave Hell in order to find Paradise.
When you find yourself lost, suffering, and in exile — searching for home — your path to salvation requires you to face the darkest depths of reality and your soul. Here’s how Dante’s Inferno teaches you to do it…