Dante Alighieri’s, “The Inferno” describes how Dante interprets the punishment of numerous sins that occurs in life and as a result the everlasting punishment of those sins in hell. He goes on to describe with each sin how the punishment intensifies, and it will last for eternity. Dante uses symbolic punishment to raise the will of God in relation to the sin committed. Dante’s belief about the punishment received in the afterlife is a reflection the sins committed in life. Dante described the punishment of those who lacked the motivation to serve God, “In this alone we suffer: cut off from hope, we live on in desire “(Dante Alighieri, 2006, p.1476). Although they had not committed a sin but lacked baptism or born before Christ they could not identify with his death burial and resurrection as a result they would be rejected and tormented by this repeated cycle of punishment in having no identity or position just stuck. The symbolic retribution is they lack the motivation to serve God and therefore would be stuck in limbo in desire for eternity and not experience the presence of God. Dante goes on to describes the …show more content…
Dante interpretations of sin is that it is universal in comparison to the biblical view and that hell is a place for sinners and that receives intense and everlasting punishment for the sins committed in life. The afterlife of torment and punishment is in relation to the earthly sins. In fact, his worldview is like Paul the Apostle, and that sin needs to be punished. Paul writes about the crime of men and how every person should be punished for those sins. “The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness (Romans 1:18, New International Version).” The verse is clear and it shows both Dante and Paul’s view of sin and highlights even more the