DANTE'S INFERNO. The Symbolic Relevance of Urban Architecture in Dante’s Hell (Research Paper Sample)

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The Symbolic Relevance of Urban Architecture in Dante’s Hell
Dante’s Inferno is an epic poem that depicts, in gory images, the suffering awaiting sinners in hell. Dante describes the punishment that condemned sinners will receive, each according to the nature of their crimes. One recurring motif in Dante’s depiction of hell is the reference to urban architecture to depict the different levels of hell, which in turn symbolize the seriousness of the sins committed by the individuals found in these levels. By depicting hell as a place where sinners are segregated according to the nature and seriousness of their sins, Dante alludes to urban architecture with images of the outer city and inner city, where different forms of crime take place. In this regard, it is arguable that Dante uses the urban architecture to effectively capture the nature of hell and allow the audience to visualize, and perhaps identify with the sins committed by those in hell.
Dante starts the poem by stating that “there is a place in hell called Malebolge.” Literary commentators have argued that Malebolge is a symbolic reference to his home city of Florence, where he had witnessed immorality and social decadence of all types. Thus, the urban architecture that Dante borrows from helps to shape his depiction of hell by providing a real-world reference through which the audience can identify with the sins of the sinners suffering in hell. In other words, the urban architecture is a mirror of hell because all the sins committed by those in hell were committed within an urban setting, from the dungeons where fraudsters planned their con games to the brothels were adulterers met, to the cathedrals in which hypocritical priests indulged in immoralities and exchanged penance for money. At the same time, Dante’s placing of people engaged in usury in the inner sanctums of hell reflects the rampant exploitation of the poor by money lenders in 13th century Florence. Thus, there is a direct correlation between hell and the built urban environment of his time, as the city is the place where all the crimes were committed. It is therefore a symbol of hell, a place where all manner of abominations are committed.