The character Dante in "The Divine Comedy" by Dante Alighieri

The character of Dante in The Divine Comedy who descended into the inferno

caused me to stop and think about this awful place. As the reader I got to take an

imaginary journey with Dante to a horrible place where I do not care about going. While

Dante descended into hell I plan on ascending into heaven someday. Dante had a choice

to make whether or not to get back on the right path. It came down to heaven or hell -

choose.

I think it was willed for Dante to see this place while he was still living. By

seeing hell while he was alive Dante could be sure and make the right choices to find his

way back to the straight path. Being on the right path in his lifetime would ensure he

would not spend eternity in such a miserable place. I believe the whole purpose of this

journey into hell was to let Dante see the anguish there and choose.

Gustave Doré's illustration to Dante's Inferno. P...

English: Dante Alighieri's portrait by Sandro Bott...

Dante gazes at Mount Purgatory in an allegorical p...

Perhaps this was a

divine warning. In Canto 2, Beatrice, the symbol of Divine Love, an angelic spirit was

sent to help aid Dante from his error and help him return back. This is purely love and

compassion at its best. Sending someone into hell to rescue another person out of there.

Great lengths were taken to help Dante return back to the straight way. I do not believe

such action was taken if Dante was to end up in hell all along.

For some reason midway in Dante's life's journey he had gone astray and at this

point was searching for answers. I guess hell was as good a place to start the search as

any place. Something for sure had led him astray and Dante was going to find out what

it was.