Dante Alighieri is lost in the dark forest.
He wants to climb the mountain and find his path from there.
3 beasts, a leopard, a lion and a she-wolf, are blocking his way.
The Roman poet Virgil appears.
From now on, he will be the guide
of Dante.
Virgil offers Dante to help him. He will help him find the way, but their path will take them through Hell and Purgatory. Then, they will reach Paradise.
Dante and Virgil go through the gates of Hell. There are nine circles of Hell, and each circle is reserved for different sin.
In the ninth circle of Hell, Dante and Virgil meet Lucifer. Virgil and Dante climb down the form of Lucifer. Then, they travel back to Earth.
Dante and Virgil climb Mount Purgatory. It is located on an island in the middle of the ocean.
The souls on Mount Purgatory are divided into seven terraces. Each terrace represents a different kind of sin.
The souls on each terrace must do penance for their sins before they can move on to the next terrace. The sins punished in Purgatory are seven deadly sins.
Finally, Dante and Virgil arrive to Paradise. Dante sees Beatrice, his love, and Virgil leaves – his mission is done. Beatrice shows Dante nine spheres of Heaven.
The highest circle is the Empyrean, where God lives. The souls in Heaven are arranged in such a way that the souls
on the lower circles are closer to God than the souls on the higher circles.
In the Empyrean, Dante gets blinded by the light of faith, then sees God. His journey is finally complete.
The Divine Comedy is a complex and allegorical work. There are many different interpretations of its meaning.
One of the most common interpretations is that the poem is a journey of the soul from sin to salvation. Dante’s journey through Hell and Purgatory represents the process of purification and redemption. His journey through Paradise represents union with God.