The Divine Comedy

The Divine Comedy is a long-narrative poem, in which Dante himself – not as the poet, but as Dante the Pilgrim – undertakes a journey through the three realms of the afterlife, according to the Christian scriptures, in search of spiritual salvation. Composed over thirteen years and published only posthumously in 1321, it is divided into three canticles: ‘Inferno’, ‘Purgatory’ and ‘Paradise’. The pilgrimage unfolds over the course of a few days, beginning on the eve of Good Friday in ‘Inferno’, continuing through ‘Purgatory’ and concluding on the Wednesday after Easter in ‘Paradise’. Through each realm, he is first guided by the Roman poet Virgil, as the embodiment of human reason, until his role is assumed by Beatrice in ‘Paradise', who symbolizes divine grace and spiritual enlightenment. His treatment of ‘comedy’ in the title draws from a medieval understanding, denoting narratives that move from suffering towards harmony, ending on a note ofredemption or fulfilment. Written in the Tuscan vernacular, with minor infusions of Latin and other regional dialects, the poetry weaves together classical philosophy, Christian scriptures and political commentary into a memoir that remains one of the most influential literary works from the Middle Ages.