Divine Comedy

• Dante Alighieri


  Italian writer, philosopher and poet, lead character of the Divine Comedy
• Virgil


  Famous writer who guides Dante's journey to Inferno and Purgatory
• The 9 Circles of Hell

  • Limbo
  • Lust
  • Gluttony
  • Greed
  • Wrath
  • Heresy
  • Violence
  • Fraud
  • Treachery
• Limbo


  • 1st and largest circle, for those who lived without sin but never believed in God (e.g. Plato, Socrates, Aristotle)
• Lust

  • 2nd circle, for horny sinners, guarded by King Minos, Dante named it "Infernal Hurricane"
• Lust


  • Francesca, who tells Dante about her lustful desire when she fell in love with her husband's brother
• Gluttony


  • 3rd circle, landscape of living organs, violent worms, mud, pile of human waste and giant worms, for those who over-indulged in food and drinks
• Greed


  • 4th circle, divided into 2 groups: hording money and neglecting money
• Wrath


  • 5th circle, where wrathful suffer for all eternity, guarded by 2 black fallen angels
• Heresy


  • 6th circle, souls lying in burning open graves, for "maling pananampalataya"
• Violence

  • Violence against others
  • Violence against themselves
  • Violence against God and Nature
• Fraud


  • 8th circle, for trickery like fortune tellers and astrologers who committed malicious intentions against bonds of love, family, trust, and honor
• Treachery

  • Betrayal of family
  • Betrayal of community
  • Betrayal of guests
  • Betrayal of lords
• Purgatory


  • Has 10 levels, including Ante-Purgatory for ex-communicators
• Purgatory


  • Pia, murdered by her husband who betrayed their wedding vows
• Purgatory - Proper Purgatory


  • Has 3 steps: white marble representing purity, black/purple cross representing mourning, red representing blood of Christ and restoration
• 7 Deadly Sins


  The 7 capital sins represented by 7 Ps marked on Dante's forehead by the angel
• Pride


  • 1st level, souls bear heavy rocks and pray the Our Father
• Envy


  • 2nd level, souls' eyes sewn shut with wires to learn generosity
• Wrath


  • 3rd level, souls covered in dark smoke at 3pm
• Sloth


  • 4th level, souls running urging greater speed
• Greed


  • 5th level, Dante sees Pope Adrian V for ambition and greed
• Gluttony


  • 6th level, eternal hunger and thirst
• Lust


  • 7th level, souls must pass through fire
• Each layer of Purgatory has an equivalent of 24 hours, Dante journeyed in 7 days for a total of 1 week
• Earthly Paradise


  • Where Dante meets Matilda and Beatrice, and the rivers wash away his sins and restore his good memories
• The 9 Heavenly Spheres

  • Moon
  • Mercury
  • Venus
  • Sun
  • Mars
  • Jupiter
  • Saturn
  • Fixed Stars
  • Angels
• Moon


  • Represents the inconstant
• Mercury


  • Represents the ambitious who desired fame and glory, home of Emperor Justinian
• Venus


  • Sphere of lovers, associated with the Greek goddess Aphrodite
• Sun


  • Sphere of the wise, full of scholars, religious leaders and philosophers
• Mars


  • Sphere of the warriors of faith, those who died giving their life for God
• Jupiter


  • Souls form the shape of an Imperial Eagle, sphere of love and justice
• Saturn


  • Home of those who are masters of self-restraint and temperance, souls climb a Golden Ladder
• Fixed Stars


  • Home to the church triumphant, with St. Peter, St. James, and St. John representing faith, hope and love
• Angels


  • Moved by God himself, St. Bernard prays to the Virgin Mary and angels to give Dante strength
• Heaven


  • Represented by 3 large circles symbolizing the Trinity