"Abandon all hope you who enter here" recites the Gate of Hell in Dante Alighieri's Inferno. After waking up at the foot of a hill, Dante learns that he must descend through Hell to reach Paradise. Virgil appears to Dante as his guide after Dante's vain attempt to climb the hill. The two begin their dive into the underworld and it quickly becomes apparent that Dante is the only living soul in Hell. Nonetheless, the two continue their journey through Hell, giving the reader an in-depth tour of Dante's design of Hell. As the two travel through the different levels of Hell, Virgil introduces Dante to the sinners and punishments in each circle. The reader witnesses the emotional ups and downs as Dante empathizes with the sinners and ultimately becomes numb to their suffering. The Inferno is the most popular chapter of the Divine Comedy and its fame has survived for over six centuries. The poem is a multi-layered allegory, existing in a literary reality and containing religious, political and spiritual references. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Hell is full of references to historical and literary figures. The protagonist, Dante, is not only a poet and narrator, but also the personification of humanity. Sometimes it is difficult to distinguish Dante the writer from Dante the character. For example, the writer Dante chose how to punish sinners, but the character feels empathy towards the damned. This creates a dual perception of history and facilitates deep reflection. His guide, Virgil, also has a multi-layered identity. He is both Dante's guide and the Roman author of the Aeneid, as well as a figure of human reason. Virgil also has direct experience of Hell because he spends eternity in Limbo, where all pagans reside. This, in addition to his ability to reason and persuade, makes him an excellent guide through Hell. Many characters from Virgil's works also appear in the Inferno. In the first level of Hell, Dante is introduced to Dido, who committed suicide out of love. As a result, she spends her death carried by the winds which symbolize how, in life, she was overwhelmed by her passions. Countless other characters from literature and mythology appear in Dante's poem. An interesting feature of this work is the mixture of Christian, Greek and Roman references. The work consists mainly of a Christian framework, but includes many Greek and Roman allusions. Dante opens his journey through a very Catholic version of Hell on the afternoon of Good Friday, both Christian references. However, he encounters many non-Christian characters from both literature and mythology. These characters include Charon, the ferryman, and Minos, the judge who sins and assigns a level of Hell. Both of these characters come from Greek mythology. It also includes many ancient literary figures, such as Virgil, Odysseus, and Homer. Dante introduces these characters to identify with their renowned literary skills. Dante not only incorporates pagan characters but also mythological places, for example the rivers Styx and Acheron. These non-Christian allusions enrich the story and help it relate to a broader audience that incorporates all humans. This is due to Dante's belief that his journey is one in which all humanity should participate. Every soul in hell is justly penalized for sins committed against God, just as with Dido's punishment for her abandonment of reason for passion. Fortunately, Dido's sin is considered the least offensive, so she is punished lightly. Probably.