Dante Alighieri
(1265–1321)
Dante Alighieri was born in Florence into an old and moderately distinguished family. From an early age he wrote poetry and associated himself with the literary people of Florence; however, his life was not limited to the pursuit of art. His was a time of political turbulence, and Florence was torn by civil war three times during his residence there. He may have participated in the fighting at least once himself. Certainly he became deeply involved in the political life of the city and, as an elected official, sought to end Florence's civil strife. Dante went so far on one occasion as to exile his best friend and some of his wife's relatives because of their part in the conflict. He was strongly opposed to the involvement of the pope and the Church in political conflicts. His ideal was a strongly renewed Roman Empire as the temporal authority and a purified Church as the spiritual authority. In 1301, while Dante was out of Florence on an official mission, his political enemies seized the city and sentenced him to death. Dante never returned to his beloved city and lived the rest of his life in exile. Where he lived and whether he saw his wife and children again after leaving Florence are not known for sure. What is known is that he died in Ravenna, where he is buried. During his exile he completed his great poetic achievement The Divine Comedy, which shows the influence of his political beliefs and experiences.
The Divine Comedy is the supreme and culminating work of medieval thought. This complex, symbolic poem is considered by many people to be the greatest poem ever written in any language. In the canticles, Dante tells of an imaginary journey through hell, purgatory, and heaven. In the course of his journey, Dante gives expression to nearly every major intellectual idea conceived in the Middle Ages.
The first canticle, the
Inferno, which tells of Dante's trip to hell, is the best known and most graphically dramatic of the three canticles. The beginning of the canticle finds Dante, symbolizing mankind, lost in the "dark wood" of worldliness and sin. Dante's plight is observed in heaven, and he is sent a helper. The spirit of Virgil (whom Dante saw as the greatest poet who lived before the time of Christ) is summoned from limbo to lead Dante on the journey that can save him. Virgil, symbolizing human reason, is to guide Dante through hell and purgatory. Because human reason can take man only so far, Virgil must let Dante's deceased lover, Beatrice, who symbolizes divine revelation, lead Dante through heaven. What Dante learns of sin, renunciation, and joy will turn him forever from error.
