Dante's use of allegory in Inferno varies considerably from Plato's "Allegory of the Cave" in terms of purpose, symbolism, characters and mentors, and attitude towards the world. Analyzing each of these elements in the two allegories will provide an interesting comparison. Dante uses allegory to relate the sinner's punishment to his sin, while Plato uses allegory to discuss ignorance and knowledge. Dante's Inferno describes the descent into hell from the upper level of the opportunists to the most wicked, the most treacherous, to the lowest level. His allegorical poem describes a hierarchy of evil. Conversely, Plato's "Allegory of the Cave" describes the rise from ignorance to knowledge, as a prisoner is freed to make his way to the opening of the cave and makes the experience of sunlight, the inevitable truth. Symbolism is an essential element of both works. In Plato's allegory, symbols are used to represent truth, ignorance, society, and fear of change. Truth is represented by the sun, while ignorance is represented by the cave, its limited vision and the darkness within. The prisoners represent ignorant members of society who are content to believe that what they see is all there is. The fear of change is represented by the prisoner's angry reaction towards the freed and enlightened prisoner. Dante's Inferno is a detailed description of sin and its relationship to degrees of punishment. As stated in the text, "...for the face was inverted on the neck, and the...