Themes, symbols, and motifs come alive when you use a storyboard. In this activity, students will identify themes and symbols from the poem, and support their choices with details from the text. Dante’s Inferno is an especially rich text to examine because of its meticulously constructed allegory and its (frequently graphic) visual writing.
Dante’s own world has been turned upside down with his exile from Florence. He would write letters to the papacy and other political leaders in Florence, trying to regain a political foothold and make his way back to the city. During this time, he harbored a lot of ill-will towards his political foes, and wrote many into the tortuous scenes in Inferno.
As he found his efforts rebuffed, he began to doubt how this all fit in with a grander plan set forth before him by God. In questioning his faith, he found himself in a spiritual turmoil that also reflected his personal turmoil. This led him to try to make sense of everything through a spiritual journey, where he hopes to come to a better understanding of his situation by the end of it. This is also reflected in his frustration with Farinata, who refuses to tell him where some of their mutual acquaintances are, and Virgil advises Dante that Beatrice (Divine Love) will answer all of his questions soon enough.
As Dante comes to this crossroads in his life, he realizes that faith alone isn’t enough anymore. He calls on Virgil, who represents Human Reason, to help guide him through the turmoil he’s facing so that he can come to a better place where Divine Love, or Faith, can take over and guide him once again. Virgil provides the element of Reason for Dante so that he can make sense of why things have happened, and where people’s sins will take them. Once he’s reached the level of Earthly Paradise, Divine Love, in the form of Beatrice, will lead Dante into Heaven. At this point, Virgil must disappear, because Human Reason cannot either understand or coexist with heavenly, spiritual faith.
Dante organizes the levels of Hell in order of what he believes are the least evil to the worst evil sins. In accordance with each sin, the souls are subjected to different levels of punishment. All are in despair and wailing for relief, but he reserves the more painful punishments (like fire) for the worst offenders.
In Dante’s mind, the worst offenders of all are those who were treacherous to their masters, like Judas Iscariot, Brutus, and Cassius. This is also the level where the reader will find Lucifer, or Satan, who betrayed God by mounting a rebellion against Him. Dante feels that justice is served when it is doled out in accordance with the severity of the sin, and when it reflects the nature of the sin in some way. This contrapasso, or poetic justice, is a central theme of Dante’s allegorical Hell.
The Three Beasts represent the Worldliness that Dante tries to escape from. His spiritual path of righteousness is blocked by these hideous beings, and he needs Human Reason (Virgil) to save him and help him turn this path of turmoil into spiritual reconcile with God. Dante’s exile are his darkest days, and he is having difficulty finding the meaning of his exile to God’s greater plan.
The Gates of Hell are inscribed with the words:
I am the way into the city of woe,
I am the way to a forsaken people,
I am the way into eternal sorrow,
Sacred justice moved my architect,
I was raised here by divine omnipotence,
primordial love, and ultimate intellect.
Only those elements time cannot wear were made before me,
and beyond time I stand.
Abandon all hope, ye who enter here.
Replacing the “I” in the first stanza with the word “sin” highlights a deeper meaning. Sin leads to woe, to being forsaken, to eternal sorrow. Hell has existed before man, and will exist forever because the punishment of sin can never end. Therefore, all souls who enter (except for those on a heavenly errand, like Dante) should abandon any hope of return; Hell is eternal. Their chance to be “good” people ended with their deaths.
Virgil was revered by the people of Dante’s time, but, as was often the case with classical poets and writers, the people of the Middle Ages had to reconcile Virgil’s great work with his lack of Christian faith. One way to get around that was to look for hidden meanings in their writings.
For instance, Virgil once wrote of a savior who would come to save the Roman people. Many in Dante’s time took this to mean that Virgil was prophesying the coming of Christ, so they viewed him as a godly man who just missed the true understanding that came with Christianity, rather than an evil, godless, pagan.
As a fellow poet, Dante personally admired Virgil’s work, and saw him as a voice of reason in a godless world that had not yet seen the blessing of Christianity. Therefore, he calls upon Virgil to be his guide through the many sights he will see and experience. Virgil’s explanations will reflect Human Reason, and will escort Dante until Divine Love can take over. Dante is saying that Human Reason can only get a person so far on their spiritual journey, and Faith will have to take the person the rest of the way.
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Student Instructions
Create a storyboard that identifies recurring themes in The Inferno. Illustrate instances of each theme and write a short description below each cell.
Encourage student engagement by starting a class discussion on themes, motifs, and symbols found in Inferno. Invite students to share their storyboard findings, then guide them to connect personal interpretations with textual evidence. This approach builds critical thinking and helps students see the power of literary analysis as a group activity.
Divide your class into small groups and assign each group a passage from Inferno. Ask them to read, identify, and discuss possible themes, motifs, or symbols in their excerpt. This promotes collaboration and helps students practice close reading skills in a supportive setting.
Invite each group to present their passage and analysis of its themes, motifs, or symbols. Encourage them to use visuals or short skits if possible. This peer teaching approach helps reinforce understanding and makes learning interactive and memorable.
After presentations, lead a whole-class discussion where students compare and synthesize their findings. Highlight how different passages link back to major themes like spiritual journey, reason vs. faith, or justice. This solidifies student comprehension and shows the complexity of Dante’s text.
Dante's Inferno explores major themes like spiritual journey, reason vs. faith, the nature of sin and punishment, and poetic justice. Key symbols include the Three Beasts (representing worldliness), the Gates of Hell (eternal despair), and characters like Virgil (human reason) and Beatrice (divine love).
Have students use a storyboard to visually connect themes, motifs, and symbols with text evidence. Encourage them to illustrate and describe examples, focusing on recurring elements such as spiritual journeys, punishments for sins, and allegorical figures.
Virgil symbolizes human reason and serves as Dante's guide through Hell. He helps Dante understand the consequences of sin and the limits of reason, preparing him for the spiritual guidance of Beatrice (divine love) in later parts of the journey.
The Gates of Hell represent the point of no return and eternal punishment. The inscription "Abandon all hope, ye who enter here" highlights the hopelessness of souls damned for their sins, reinforcing the theme of eternal justice in Dante's vision of the afterlife.
Dante's journey through Hell is an allegory for his own struggles with exile and faith. The trials and punishments he witnesses reflect his personal quest for meaning and a better understanding of his place in a divine plan.