The Divine Comedy

Interesting Facts

• The book consists of three parts: Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso, each containing 33 cantos, except the first part, which has 34 cantos.
• The main character, Dante, travels through Hell, Purgatory, and Heaven, encountering various historical and mythological figures.
• Each part of the book ends with the word 'stars,' symbolizing hope and renewal.
• Virgil, the ancient Roman poet, acts as Dante's guide through Hell and Purgatory but cannot accompany him to Heaven as he is a pagan.
• Beatrice, Dante's beloved, is his guide in Heaven and symbolizes divine love and grace.
• The book is written in the Tuscan dialect of the Italian language, which contributed to its establishment as the literary language of Italy.
• The work uses terza rima—a stanza of three lines rhyming in the scheme aba, bcb, cdc, and so on.
• Dante describes Hell as a funnel-shaped pit consisting of nine circles, each designated for different sins and punishments.
• Purgatory is depicted as a mountain with seven levels, each symbolizing one of the seven deadly sins.
• Heaven is presented as nine celestial spheres corresponding to various virtues and levels of bliss.