“Inferno” by Dante Alighieri, written in the 14th century, is the first part of Dante's epic poem, “The Divine Comedy”. “Purgatorio” and “Paradiso” succeeded him. “Inferno” was an allegorical account of Dante as he descended through the nine levels of Hell with his guide, the Roman poet Virgil. As Dante travels through the levels or concentric rings of Hell, he begins to have a new understanding of religion and also begins to question his own morals and ethics. In the opening rings, Dante feels great pity for the tortured souls he sees. However, as he reaches the inner rings, he is less inclined to feel pity for sinful souls and eventually realizes that to feel pity for those in hell is to show mercy. 'a lack of understanding. This is because divine justice is infinitely perfect and sinners receive punishment proportional to their sins. The sullen ones choke on mud, the angry ones attack each other, the gluttons are forced to eat excrement, etc. Dante refused to believe that every sinner was destined to suffer in the same hell, no matter how serious their sins. This highlights one of the major themes of “Inferno”: the idea that God’s justice is perfect. As harsh as it may seem, this punishment is completely deserved by sinners. Dante uses this poem to communicate how he views human evil and how he classifies and judges each type of evil. To arrive at this classification and judgment, Dante uses strict doctrinal Christian values. In other words, the worst sins do not necessarily violate human happiness or harmony on Earth, but rather disrupt God's will in Heaven. For example, Dante considers violence a lesser sin than fraud. This is because fraud is more opposed to the will of God; God was...... middle of paper ......s. This is very different from the popular Renaissance conception of Satan, which can be seen in Giotto di Bondone's painting, "The Last Judgment." Giotto gives Satan a very dominant role in Hell and describes him as very violent and horrible. Dante's Inferno changes the way people think and perceive Satan. For example, painters William Blake and Nardo di Cione depict Satan as he appears in “Inferno.” Dante greatly influenced both the Renaissance understanding of Satan and Christian theology in general. In conclusion, “Inferno” by Dante Alighieri is an epic allegorical poem that had a great impact on the view of hell and Christianity in general during the Renaissance. This metaphorical tale filled with symbolism and political commentary. This poem had a huge impact on religion during the Renaissance as well as the way people thought in general..