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Inferno | Purgatorio | Paradiso
The “Divine Comedy” is an allegory of human life, in the form of a vision of the world beyond the grave, written with the object of converting a corrupt society to righteousness. It was originally composed in Italian, of a hundred “cantos”, written in the measure known as terza rima. which Dante so modified from the popular poetry of his day that it may be regarded as his own invention.
Dante relates, nearly twenty years after the event, a vision which was granted to him in 1300, in which for seven days (beginning on the morning of Good Friday) he passed through hell, purgatory, and paradise, spoke with the souls in each realm, and heard what the Providence of God had in store for himself and the world.
The sacred poem, the last book of the Middle Ages, sums up the knowledge and intellectual attainment of the centuries that passed between the fall of the Roman Empire and the beginning of the Renaissance; it gives a complete picture of Catholicism in the thirteenth century in Italy. In the “Inferno”, Dante’s style is chiefly influenced by Virgil, and, in a lesser degree, by Lucan. The heir in poetry of the great achievement of St. Albertus Magnus and St. Thomas Aquinas in Christianizing Aristotle, his ethical scheme and metaphysics are mainly Aristotelean while his machinery is still that of popular medieval tradition.
Adapted from the Catholic Encyclopedia
I. Dante, The Divine Comedy. Inferno
Translated by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882).
Inferno, Canto I.
The Dark Forest. The Hill of Difficulty. The Panther, the Lion, and the Wolf. Virgil.
Inferno, Canto II.
The Descent. Dante’s Protest and Virgil’s Appeal. The Intercession of the Three Ladies Benedight.
Inferno, Canto III.
The Gate of Hell. The Inefficient or Indifferent. Pope Celestine V. The Shores of Acheron. Charon. The Earthquake and the Swoon.
Inferno, Canto IV
The First Circle, Limbo: Virtuous Pagans and the Unbaptized. The Four Poets, Homer, Horace, Ovid, and Lucan. The Noble Castle of Philosophy.
Inferno, Canto V
The Second Circle: The Wanton. Minos. The Infernal Hurricane. Francesca da Rimini.
Inferno, Canto VI
The Third Circle: The Gluttonous. Cerberus. The Eternal Rain. Ciacco. Florence.
Inferno, Canto VII
The Fourth Circle: The Avaricious and the Prodigal. Plutus. Fortune and her Wheel. The Fifth Circle: The Irascible and the Sullen. Styx.
Inferno, Canto VIII
Phlegyas. Philippo Argenti. The Gate of the City of Dis.
Inferno, Canto IX
The Furies and Medusa. The Angel. The City of Dis. The Sixth Circle: Heresiarchs.
Inferno, Canto X
Farinata and Cavalcante de’ Cavalcanti. Discourse on the Knowledge of the Damned.
Inferno, Canto XI
The Broken Rocks. Pope Anastasius. General Description of the Inferno and its Divisions
Inferno, Canto XII
The Minotaur. The Seventh Circle: The Violent. The River Phlegethon. The Violent against their Neighbours. The Centaurs. Tyrants.
Inferno, Canto XIII
The Wood of Thorns. The Harpies. The Violent against themselves. Suicides. Pier della Vigna. Lano and Jacopo da Sant’ Andrea.
Inferno, Canto XIV
The Sand Waste and the Rain of Fire. The Violent against God. Capaneus. The Statue of Time, and the Four Infernal Rivers.
Inferno, Canto XV
The Violent against Nature. Brunetto Latini.
Inferno, Canto XVI
Guidoguerra, Aldobrandi, and Rusticucci. Cataract of the River of Blood.
Inferno, Canto XVII
Geryon. The Violent against Art. Usurers. Descent into the Abyss of Malebolge.
Inferno, Canto XVIII
The Eighth Circle, Malebolge: The Fraudulent and the Malicious. The First Bolgia: Seducers and Panders. Venedico Caccianimico. Jason. The Second Bolgia: Flatterers. Allessio Interminelli. Thais.
Inferno, Canto XIX
The Third Bolgia: Simoniacs. Pope Nicholas III. Dante’s Reproof of corrupt Prelates.
Inferno, Canto XX
The Fourth Bolgia: Soothsayers. Amphiaraus, Tiresias, Aruns, Manto, Eryphylus, Michael Scott, Guido Bonatti, and Asdente. Virgil reproaches Dante’s Pity. Mantua’s Foundation.
Inferno, Canto XXI
The Fifth Bolgia: Peculators. The Elder of Santa Zita. Malacoda and other Devils.
Inferno, Canto XXII
Ciampolo, Friar Gomita, and Michael Zanche. The Malabranche quarrel.
Inferno, Canto XXIII
Escape from the Malabranche. The Sixth Bolgia: Hypocrites. Catalano and Loderingo. Caiaphas.
Inferno, Canto XXIV
The Seventh Bolgia: Thieves. Vanni Fucci. Serpents.
Inferno, Canto XXV
Vanni Fucci’s Punishment. Agnello Brunelleschi, Buoso degli Abati, Puccio Sciancato, Cianfa de’ Donati, and Guercio Cavalcanti.
Inferno, Canto XXVI
The Eighth Bolgia: Evil Counsellors. Ulysses and Diomed. Ulysses’ Last Voyage.
Inferno, Canto XXVII
Guido da Montefeltro. His deception by Pope Boniface VIII.
Inferno, Canto XXVIII
The Ninth Bolgia: Schismatics. Mahomet and Ali. Pier da Medicina, Curio, Mosca, and Bertrand de Born.
Inferno, Canto XXIX
Geri del Bello. The Tenth Bolgia: Alchemists. Griffolino d’ Arezzo and Capocchino.
Inferno, Canto XXX
Other Falsifiers or Forgers. Gianni Schicchi, Myrrha, Adam of Brescia, Potiphar’s Wife, and Sinon of Troy.
Inferno, Canto XXXI
The Giants, Nimrod, Ephialtes, and Antaeus. Descent to Cocytus.
Inferno, Canto XXXII
The Ninth Circle: Traitors. The Frozen Lake of Cocytus. First Division, Caina: Traitors to their Kindred. Camicion de’ Pazzi. Second Division, Antenora: Traitors to their Country. Dante questions Bocca degli Abati. Buoso da Duera.
Inferno, Canto XXXIII
Count Ugolino and the Archbishop Ruggieri. The Death of Count Ugolino’s Sons. Third Division of the Ninth Circle, Ptolomaea: Traitors to their Friends. Friar Alberigo, Branco d’ Oria.
Inferno, Canto XXXIV
Fourth Division of the Ninth Circle, the Judecca: Traitors to their Lords and Benefactors. Lucifer, Judas Iscariot, Brutus, and Cassius. The Chasm of Lethe. The Ascent.
II. Dante, The Divine Comedy. PURGATORIO
Purgatorio, Canto I
The Shores of Purgatory. The Four Stars. Cato of Utica. The Rush.
Purgatorio, Canto II
The Celestial Pilot. Casella. The Departure.
Purgatorio, Canto III
Discourse on the Limits of Reason. The Foot of the Mountain. Those who died in Contumacy of Holy Church. Manfredi.
Purgatorio, Canto IV
Farther Ascent. Nature of the Mountain. The Negligent, who postponed Repentance till the last Hour. Belacqua.
Purgatorio, Canto V
Those who died by Violence, but repentant. Buonconte di Monfeltro. La Pia.
Purgatorio, Canto VI
Dante’s Inquiry on Prayers for the Dead. Sordello. Italy.
Purgatorio, Canto VII
The Valley of Flowers. Negligent Princes.
Purgatorio, Canto VIII
The Guardian Angels and the Serpent. Nino di Gallura. The Three Stars. Currado Malaspina.
Purgatorio, Canto IX
Dante’s Dream of the Eagle. The Gate of Purgatory and the Angel. Seven P’s. The Keys.
Purgatorio, Canto X
The Needle’s Eye. The First Circle: The Proud. The Sculptures on the Wall.
Purgatorio, Canto XI
The Humble Prayer. Omberto di Santafiore. Oderisi d’ Agobbio. Provenzan Salvani.
Purgatorio, Canto XII
The Sculptures on the Pavement. Ascent to the Second Circle.
Purgatorio, Canto XIII
The Second Circle: The Envious. Sapia of Siena.
Purgatorio, Canto XIV
Guido del Duca and Renier da Calboli. Cities of the Arno Valley. Denunciation of Stubbornness.
Purgatorio, Canto XV
The Third Circle: The Irascible. Dante’s Visions. The Smoke.
Purgatorio, Canto XVI
Marco Lombardo. Lament over the State of the World.
Purgatorio, Canto XVII
Dante’s Dream of Anger. The Fourth Circle: The Slothful. Virgil’s Discourse of Love.
Purgatorio, Canto XVIII
Virgil further discourses of Love and Free Will. The Abbot of San Zeno.
Purgatorio, Canto XIX
Dante’s Dream of the Siren. The Fifth Circle: The Avaricious and Prodigal. Pope Adrian V.
Purgatorio, Canto XX
Hugh Capet. Corruption of the French Crown. Prophecy of the Abduction of Pope Boniface VIII and the Sacrilege of Philip the Fair. The Earthquake.
Purgatorio, Canto XXI
The Poet Statius. Praise of Virgil.
Purgatorio, Canto XXII
Statius’ Denunciation of Avarice. The Sixth Circle: The Gluttonous. The Mystic Tree.
Purgatorio, Canto XXIII
Forese. Reproof of immodest Florentine Women.
Purgatorio, Canto XXIV
Buonagiunta da Lucca. Pope Martin IV, and others. Inquiry into the State of Poetry.
Purgatorio, Canto XXV
Discourse of Statius on Generation. The Seventh Circle: The Wanton.
Purgatorio, Canto XXVI
Sodomites. Guido Guinicelli and Arnaldo Daniello.
Purgatorio, Canto XXVII
The Wall of Fire and the Angel of God. Dante’s Sleep upon the Stairway, and his Dream of Leah and Rachel. Arrival at the Terrestrial Paradise.
Purgatorio, Canto XXVIII
The River Lethe. Matilda. The Nature of the Terrestrial Paradise.
Purgatorio, Canto XXIX
The Triumph of the Church.
Purgatorio, Canto XXX
Virgil’s Departure. Beatrice. Dante’s Shame.
Purgatorio, Canto XXXI
Reproaches of Beatrice and Confession of Dante. The Passage of Lethe. The Seven Virtues. The Griffon.
Purgatorio, Canto XXXII
The Tree of Knowledge. Allegory of the Chariot.
Purgatorio, Canto XXXIII
Lament over the State of the Church. Final Reproaches of Beatrice. The River Eunoe.
III. DANTE, Divine Comedy. Paradiso
Paradiso, Canto I
The Ascent to the First Heaven. The Sphere of Fire.
Paradiso, Canto II
The First Heaven, the Moon: Spirits who, having taken Sacred Vows, were forced to violate them. The Lunar Spots.
Paradiso, Canto III
Piccarda Donati and the Empress Constance.
Paradiso, Canto IV
Questionings of the Soul and of Broken Vows.
Paradiso, Canto V
Discourse of Beatrice on Vows and Compensations. Ascent to the Second Heaven, Mercury: Spirits who for the Love of Fame achieved great Deeds.
Paradiso, Canto VI
Justinian. The Roman Eagle. The Empire. Romeo.
Paradiso, Canto VII
Beatrice’s Discourse of the Crucifixion, the Incarnation, the Immortality of the Soul, and the Resurrection of the Body.
Paradiso, Canto VIII
Ascent to the Third Heaven, Venus: Lovers. Charles Martel. Discourse on diverse Natures.
Paradiso, Canto IX
Cunizza da Romano, Folco of Marseilles, and Rahab. Neglect of the Holy Land.
Paradiso, Canto X
The Fourth Heaven, the Sun: Theologians and Fathers of the Church. The First Circle. St. Thomas of Aquinas.
Paradiso, Canto XI
St. Thomas recounts the Life of St. Francis. Lament over the State of the Dominican Order.
Paradiso, Canto XII
St. Buonaventura recounts the Life of St. Dominic. Lament over the State of the Franciscan Order. The Second Circle.
Paradiso, Canto XIII
Of the Wisdom of Solomon. St. Thomas reproaches Dante’s Judgement.
Paradiso, Canto XIV
The Third Circle. Discourse on the Resurrection of the Flesh. The Fifth Heaven, Mars: Martyrs and Crusaders who died fighting for the true Faith. The Celestial Cross.
Paradiso, Canto XV
Cacciaguida. Florence in the Olden Time.
Paradiso, Canto XVI
Dante’s Noble Ancestry. Cacciaguida’s Discourse of the Great Florentines.
Paradiso, Canto XVII
Cacciaguida’s Prophecy of Dante’s Banishment.
Paradiso, Canto XVIII
The Sixth Heaven, Jupiter: Righteous Kings and Rulers. The Celestial Eagle. Dante’s Invectives against ecclesiastical Avarice.
Paradiso, Canto XIX
The Eagle discourses of Salvation, Faith, and Virtue. Condemnation of the vile Kings of A.D. 1300.
Paradiso, Canto XX
The Eagle praises the Righteous Kings of old. Benevolence of the Divine Will.
Paradiso, Canto XXI
The Seventh Heaven, Saturn: The Contemplative. The Celestial Stairway. St. Peter Damiano. His Invectives against the Luxury of the Prelates.
Paradiso, Canto XXII
St. Benedict. His Lamentation over the Corruption of Monks. The Eighth Heaven, the Fixed Stars.
Paradiso, Canto XXIII
The Triumph of Christ. The Virgin Mary. The Apostles. Gabriel.
Paradiso, Canto XXIV
The Radiant Wheel. St. Peter examines Dante on Faith.
Paradiso, Canto XXV
The Laurel Crown. St. James examines Dante on Hope. Dante’s Blindness.
Paradiso, Canto XXVI
St. John examines Dante on Charity. Dante’s Sight. Adam.
Paradiso, Canto XXVII
St. Peter’s reproof of bad Popes. The Ascent to the Ninth Heaven, the ‘Primum Mobile.’
Paradiso, Canto XXVIII
God and the Angelic Hierarchies.
Paradiso, Canto XXIX
Beatrice’s Discourse of the Creation of the Angels, and of the Fall of Lucifer. Her Reproof of Foolish and Avaricious Preachers.
Paradiso, Canto XXX
The Tenth Heaven, or Empyrean. The River of Light. The Two Courts of Heaven. The White Rose of Paradise. The great Throne.
Paradiso, Canto XXXI
The Glory of Paradise. Departure of Beatrice. St. Bernard.
Paradiso, Canto XXXII
St. Bernard points out the Saints in the White Rose.
Paradiso, Canto XXXIII
Prayer to the Virgin. The Threefold Circle of the Trinity. Mystery of the Divine and Human Nature.