story
The Divine Comedy
Dante's journey through Hell, Purgatory, and Heaven โ the template for descent-through-suffering narratives.
Origin
Written by Dante Alighieri in the early 14th century. The pilgrim Dante, guided by the poet Virgil, descends through nine circles of Hell, climbs Purgatory, and ascends to Paradise. The Inferno is by far the most-quoted section.
Modern usage
'Dantean' or 'Inferno-like' is shorthand for nightmarish, layered punishment. 'Abandon all hope, ye who enter here' is the inscription above the gates of Hell.
Tags
journey
afterlife
italian