The Divine Comedy is an epic poem written by Dante Alighieri between 1308 and 1321. It is widely considered to be one of the greatest works of world literature.
The poem tells the story of Dante’s journey through the three realms of the afterlife: Hell, Purgatory, and Paradise. It describes his encounters with many famous historical figures, including Virgil and Beatrice, as well as some from his own time, such as Pope Gregory I (the author of the Gregorian Chant) and Frederick II.
Dante describes his travels through Hell, Purgatory and Paradise or Heaven on his way to God’s throne. He meets a series of classical figures along the way: historical persons such as Virgil, Beatrice (Bice), St. Bernard, Thomas Aquinas and Farinata degli Uberti, who are dead when Dante encounters them; allegorical figures such as Fortune or Virtue; abstract concepts such as Pride or Sloth; and famous people from history or legend like Attila, Hector or Julius Caesar.
The poem’s imaginative, allegorical, and symbolically dense narrative discusses a variety of themes including virtue and vice, free will, Christian morality, family loyalty, political corruption, pride, divine justice and mercy. The Divine Comedy also examines human nature throughout the ages with reference to classical Greek and Roman examples.
In fact, The poem has been translated into seventy languages, and it is estimated that more than one hundred million copies have been sold.
Moreover, The Divine Comedy has been adapted for stage and screen, and it has inspired a variety of works of art including paintings, sculptures and music. In many ways, The Divine Comedy is a timeless classic that continues to entertain and enlighten readers of all ages.
