Title

Animals in the Inferno

Description

The Inferno was written by Dante Allgeri in the 14th century as part of a trilogy known as the Divine Comedy. The Inferno section follows Dante as he descends into hell. Within the work there are a lot of important figures from mythology and history. Three of these figures come in terms of the animals that greet Dante as he ends up on his journey to hell. A lion, a leopard, and a wolf all block Dante as he attempts to go back away from hell (Dante 5). These animals may seem to be random at first glance, but in reality they are much more than they seem.
These three beasts that Dante encounters while in the woods can be found in Jeremiah 5:6, which states that "a lion from the forest will attack them, a wolf from the desert will ravage them, a leopard will lie in wait near their towns to tear to pieces any who venture out, for their rebellion is great and their backslidings many.” The emergence of the lion, leopard, and wolf so early on in The Inferno quickly situate this work within a Christian context. This biblical reference, in tandem with Dante the Pilgrim's exploration of Hell, establishes Dante's work as one that will explore the complexities of religion, sin, and the afterlife.

Animals in the Inferno

Created for HUST 324: Late Medieval and Renaissance Literature

list of authors

Alex Gulotta

Mia Hivick

Tess Diamond