Written by Dante Alighieri, a great poet of the 14th century banned from his home, Inferno describes the journey of Dante himself as a man who has lost his way in the woods, which represents losing his way from the righteous path. In order to find salvation, Dante must take a journey through Hell with the guidance of the poet Virgil, who represents human reason. The poem depicts many theological ideas that people of the time may have believed, but enhances their effectiveness through graphic punishments that await sinners in Hell. The ideology breaks down into two general ideas: God is just and impartial to humans and punishments are based on the severity and consciousness involved in the sin, which can be observed in the punishments facing the great influences of Dante’s life, the lovers …show more content…
By using such a symbolic figure, one can conclude that Dante wanted to show that no one, even the holiest of men, is impartial to the justice of God. Pope Nicholas III is placed in the third Bolgia, in a hole upside down with his legs and feet protruding, constantly being burned by flames. The pope’s sin was simony, or taking advantage of his position for personal gain stating “so greedy to advance my cubs, that wealth/ I pocketed in life, and here, myself” (455). What makes this character and part of the poem key is that not only is one pope here, but he soon expects to be joined by Pope Boniface the VIII, who was one of the causes of the fight between the black and white badges and the exile of Dante. Following Boniface, Nicholas expects to see Pope Clement V, which will push both Nicholas and Boniface further into the pit. To reinforce the theology, Dante uses both the high position of these men in the church and the consciousness used by the sinners to carry out the action that brought them to this level of