Justina's Writing Corner

In Dante’s Inferno, Dante descends into Hell and encounters sinners like Francesca da Rimini, Filippo Argenti, Pope Nicholas III, and Satan—whose sins challenge his moral confusion and forces him to confront the nature of divine justice: his journey gradually transforms his attitude from pity and personal outrage to understanding Hell’s punishments and finally leading him to a clearer understanding of sin, righteousness, and salvation. 

At the beginning, Dante finds himself ‘woke to find [himself] lost in a dark wood, for [he] had wandered off from the straight path’ (Inferno, Canto 1, lines 2-3) which represents sin and moral confusion. This shows his crisis of faith and introduces the journey for his self-discovery and redemption. Dante’s inability to escape on his own is further emphasized by three beasts—leopard, lion, and she-wolf—which block his path. Musa notes that the beasts serve as both external obstacles and internal manifestations of Dante’s own weaknesses, “The Pilgrim cannot proceed to the light of Divine Love (the mountain top) until he has overcome the three beasts of his sin” (Inferno, Commentary, Canto I)​. His fear and failure to advance reveal that he is spiritually unprepared to reach salvation. The arrival of Virgil represents reason and wisdom which signifies that intellectual and moral guidance Dante needs.  However, Virgil does not provide an easy escape. Dante must descend into Hell first. This establishes the fundamental structure of Dante’s spiritual journey. His journey is not about escaping Hell, but understanding its nature so he can fully reject sin. His transformation begins from aimless wandering to active learning: the Inferno will force him to confront moral reality and lead him toward salvation.

In the Second Circle, Dante meets Francesca da Rimini, a woman tortured for her love affair and moves Dante with her story: “Love, that excuses no one loved from loving, seized me so strongly with delight in him that” (Inferno, Canto V, lines 103-105). Dante sympathizes with Francesca as she portrays love as someone uncontrollable and is influenced by her. Musa points out that Francesca deliberately crafts her speech in courtly tone to manipulate Dante’s sympathy: “Francesca deliberately employs the style of stilnovisti poets such as Guinizelli and Cavalcanti in order to ensure the Pilgrim’s sympathy” (Inferno, Canto V, Commentary 103, page 119). At this early stage of his journey, Dante is deeply moved by her suffering and fails to recognize her sin and even has an emotional faint. Dante’s fainting symbolizes his inability to properly judge sin: he allows himself to be seduced by Francesca’s words rather than seeing the justice of her punishment. This scene serves as an early test of Dante’s moral judgment but it is also one that he initially fails but will learn from as his journey continues. 

When Dante encounters Filippo Argenti (a former political enemy of Dante in Florence) in the Fifth Circle of Hell (this circle punishes the wrathful and sullen in the river Styx), his reaction changes towards the sinners. Unlike his previous sympathetic reaction to Francesca, Dante responds to Filippo Argenti with anger and scorn. This marks a significant shift in his moral development. When Argenti rises from the murky waters, Dante does not show pity but instead wishes for his torment to increase. Dante’s immediate response to Argenti is harsh: “May you weep and wail, stuck here in this place forever, you damned soul, for, filthy as you are, I recognize you.” (Inferno, Canto VIII, lines 37-39)​. Dante’s transformation is very evident. De is no longer just an observer but an active participant in condemning sinners. His desire to see Argenti is further humiliated, as he watches others tear him apart. This indifference and even hatred towards the sinners marks a critical moment in his spiritual evolution. This encounter suggests that Dante is beginning to internalize the notion that justice (rather than misplaced compassion before) should guide his response to sin.

Dante’s encounter with Pope Nicholas III in the Third Bolgia of the Eighth Circle marks a pivotal moment in his moral progression as he shifts from a passive observer to an active participant in condemning corruption (religious authority). The pope is placed here for simony (buying and selling of church position). Dante even exclaimed, ‘You have built yourselves a God of gold and silver! How do you differ from the idolator, except he worships one, you worship hundreds?” (Inferno, Canto XIX, lines 112-114). In this quote, Dante echoes biblical condemnations of idolatry and aligns corrupt popes with false worshipers; this is a sharp break from his earlier reverence toward religious leaders. Musa points out that Dante’s tone shift significantly in this canto which marks this as an important stage in his moral development: “The entire Divine Comedy is… the story of the Pilgrim’s learning process and spiritual development, and here in Inferno XIX Dante has chosen to present us with a picture of that process in miniature” (Inferno, Canto XIX, Commentary, page 249). Unlike earlier, Dante does not merely observe or chastise due to personal conflicts, he actively participates in condemning sinners. Dante’s speech is structured like a sermon to warn against moral decay. His outrage is no longer personal but systemic, extending beyond Nicholas to all corrupt clergy.​ He also sees the truth of worldly status and begins to see justice more clearly (and even willing to challenge those who abuse authority). Dante recognizes that these sins pervert the Church itself. This marks a stark contrast to earlier moments where Dante fainted from pity. Now, he does not weep for the damned; instead, he asserts divine justice. His transformation is evident—not only does he recognize the rightness of Hell’s punishments, but he also actively condemns those who deserve them. This scene thus serves as a turning point in Dante’s journey, where he fully embraces the moral framework of Inferno, moving from a passive observer to a righteous judge.

In the Ninth Circle, Dante finally encounters Satan, but instead of the powerful, rebellious figure depicted in traditional Christian theology, he finds a immobilized creature trapped in ice: “The king of the vast kingdom of all grief stuck out with half his chest above the ice; my height is closer to the height of giants” (Inferno, Canto XXXIV, lines 28-30). Satan is chewing on the most horrible traitors of all time: Judas, Brutus, and Cassius–their agony is eternal and meaningless, just as Satan’s suffering is. This subversion of expectations challenges the notion of Satan as an active force of evil and instead presents him as a symbol of sin’s ultimate consequence—self-destruction and powerlessness. Dante’s reaction to Satan also marks a crucial moment in his moral and spiritual progression. Unlike his earlier encounters where he expressed sympathy or even outrage, here he does not hesitate. Instead, he and Virgil literally climb down Satan’s body to escape Hell. He and Virgil climbed down Satan’s body, ‘​​then downward, tuft by tuft, he made his way between the tangled hair and frozen crust’ (Inferno, Canto XXXIV, lines 74-75). Dante does not engage with Satan but simply moves past him, symbolizing that true salvation lies not in confronting evil, but in transcending it: “My guide and I entered that hidden road to make our way back up to the bright world” (Inferno, Canto XXXIV, lines 133-134). Dante’s moral transformation is now complete. He no longer pities sinners nor does he rage at them. His emergence to see the stars once more symbolizes his acceptance of divine justice fully and turns his gaze toward redemption. Sin leads only to stagnation, and true strength lies in the ascent toward salvation. 

Citation

Dante Alighieri. Inferno. Translated with commentary by Mark Musa, Penguin Classics, 2002.