Why is The Divine Comedy such an important work, and what role does the character Beatrice play?
The Divine Comedy (1308–1321) is considered one of the greatest works of European literature. Written by Italian poet Dante Alighieri (1265–1321), The Divine Comedy is divided into three books: Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. It tells the story of a man who is led through hell (the Christian concept of the place where sinners go after death) and purgatory (the region between hell and heaven, the place where the righteous go after death) by the Roman poet Virgil (70–19 B.C.). The man is then escorted through heaven by a character named Beatrice. The main theme of the poem concerns the ability of humans to exercise free will in “rewarding or punishing justice.” The Divine Comedy was the first well-received epic (long narrative) poem written in Italian…
