... journey. Nine of them are in Limbo, and out of the remaining seven, five reside in Francesca's "circle in Hell." Throughout the Comedy, Dante appears to view women as the center of some sort of tragic love triangle, while throughout the Lais Marie's women are shown to have character and grace. Canto V of Dante's Divine Comedy Inferno ... his heart and mind. He admires "her sweet presence and her soft, lovely glance." (Petrarch 37) At first, Petrarch seeks physical consummation with Laura. This profane love is hampered by Laura's unwillingness to fall for Petrarch and is eventually purifie...

• Word Count: 2427
• Approx Pages: 10
• Grade Level: High School

... repentance seemed logical. However, until Purgatory such a place did not exist in literature. In a style much differentfrom what one has seen in Inferno, Dante begins Purgatory, the second canticle of the Divine Comedy, with an atmosphere of hope and light. "For better waters, now, the little ... shades suffering their cruel torments that so haunted Dante's every step in Hell. However, despite the dissimilarity with Inferno in mood and atmosphere, Purgatory shares a moral structure much like that of Inferno. This helps to advance the story of the pilgrim's journey towards salvation, whil...

• Word Count: 650
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... every member" (XX, 42). This contrapasso is very explicit, because it transforms the bad choice that these sinners had in their lives into physical expression. Dante uses this tool of allegory to define how these sorcerers turned their lives into a twisted form of time where present and future are mingled ... on the outside and lead in the inside. "The image of Hypocrisy, presenting a brilliant show and weighting like lead so as to make spiritual progress impossible (Sayers, notes Canto XIII). The sinners that have to wear these cloaks are eternally condemned to show themselves as loyal...

• Word Count: 1325
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School