According to Dante’s God in The Inferno, the creation of eternal torment for earthly crimes is driven by justice, power, love, and intellect. In Canto III, Ciardi summarizes Dante’s Hell as a place where the punishment is symbolic retribution, meaning that the sinners are punished in a way that matches their sins. This suggests that Dante may view God as a vengeful deity who metes out harsh punishments to those who resisted Him in life. Alternatively, it could be seen as God providing eternal justice to individuals who did not succeed on Earth.
The answer may be found within Dante’s version of Hell in relation to its structure, punishment of sinners, and perception of fairness in their penalties. By understanding these aspects, Dante’s depiction of God can be comprehended. His work, The Inferno, presents his personal interpretation of the different circles of hell, where each circle represents a progressively worse sin and carries a suitable punishment for the committed crime. Three primary categories of offenses exist: incontinence, violence, and fraud. These offenses are further categorized from crimes driven by passion to those rooted in deceit.
In Hell, the sins committed on Earth are divided into various levels and punished accordingly. The first five rings house self-centered crimes, while rings six to eight house violent crimes. Ring nine is dedicated to fraudulent criminals. Dante’s punishments for these sins are mostly symbolic and just, taking into account the time period when the poem was written. Nonetheless, there are cases where the punishment does not perfectly match the crime. An example of this can be seen in Limbo, which exists in the first circle of Hell and serves as a dwelling for pagans and unbaptized children.
Individuals in this level lack knowledge of God’s love, causing them to be lost and punished without hope of reaching Heaven. This raises questions about the fairness of God’s punishment for those who had no alternatives, as they did not reject His teachings or knowingly disobey His laws. Additionally, newborns have limited awareness of their own family, making it unlikely for them to recognize the presence of God.
Dante does not provide answers to these questions; he simply accepts the circumstances and continues his journey through the other levels of Hell. Another instance occurs when Dante and Virgil encounter the Sodomites in the seventh circle. The name itself indicates their crime, but the nature of their punishment remains ambiguous. All we know is that the Sodomites must perpetually traverse burning sands while enduring additional fire raining down upon them from above. Dante does not offer an explanation for this punishment, and it lacks logical coherence. The reason behind their suffering in fire remains unknown.
Are their bodies being scorched and disfigured due to the unnatural use of their bodies on Earth? Or is the fire utilized to cleanse them of their sins and guilt? Regrettably, the reasoning behind God’s choice of this method remains a matter of imagination. With further examination of the poem’s context, we can discern Dante’s perception of God in the formation of Hell and what qualities God esteems the most. The partitioning of sinners establishes a hierarchy within Hell’s structure. Consequently, I ponder upon the fairness of God’s punishment towards sinners across this hierarchy.
In modern times, there is a common belief that the severity of a crime will directly correspond to the harshness of its punishment. However, this principle does not seem to apply in God’s Hell. While some circles in Hell adhere to this concept, such as the fourth circle where the souls of Hoarders and Wasters bear the everlasting burden of their useless possessions from life, it is not universally true. An example of this deviation can be seen in the eighth circle, housing the sinners called Flatterers, who are condemned to live in filth as a consequence of their deceitful speech during their earthly existence.
While some punishments in Hell may be considered fair and fitting for the sins committed, not all sins receive such appropriate consequences. Take, for instance, the Sowers of Discord in the eighth circle. Their eternal punishment involves gruesome mutilation. They are forced to stand before the devil who oversees their pit and endure being sliced with a sword. They then have to carry their severed body parts around the pit and back to the devil, only for their wounds to heal and the process to repeat, tearing them apart once again. This particular punishment may not be surprising given the ones that precede it.
Looking deeper into the ninth circle, it becomes apparent that despite the severity of their sins, the punishment of its inhabitants is not necessarily equivalent. Take, for instance, the fourth round of the final circle, where those who betrayed their masters are forever trapped in ice. Admittedly, some may be positioned in peculiar and contorted angles, but one would expect that having committed the gravest sin would warrant a more severe penalty than what was imposed on the Sowers of Discord. Ultimately, these observations bring me back to the question: What type of God does Dante’s God represent?
God punishes sinners in accordance with their sins, establishing a hierarchical structure of Hell where the least guilty are placed at the top and the most guilty at the bottom. However, He occasionally deviates from this hierarchy in His punishments. Nevertheless, upon further examination of the Inferno and the insights provided by the souls themselves, it becomes evident that Dante’s God is fair and righteous in His punishment of those who sinned during their earthly lives. An illustration of this can be seen when Dante and Virgil encounter a glutton wallowing in his own excrement while journeying through the third circle.
He asserts that he is acquainted with Dante and proclaims himself to be Ciacco, originating from Florence. At no point during his entire conversation with Dante does he protest that his chastisement is unfair or unwarranted. Rather, he simply implores Dante to “speak my name to the memory of men” (VI, L86). This simple act serves as a symbol of acquiescence, with these individuals recognizing that they transgressed in life and must now atone in death. They do not lament or deem it unjust; instead, they accept their punishment and persevere. They do not beseech Dante for relief from their agony or to ascend to a higher circle featuring a less severe punishment.
No, the deceased only request to be remembered by the living and do not go into further detail. The reason behind Dante’s God creating this type of Hell may not be easily comprehended. It can be difficult to grasp the rationale behind this specific structure and the individual punishments for each sin. Certain penalties will forever remain mysterious, but regardless of the answers, it is universally understood that God’s reasoning is fair. Each individual is in their rightful place, receiving the appropriate treatment they deserve.
