Dante's allusions to the bible and myth are intriguing. His version of hell is different from others before him, but incorporate various versions of mythical beasts from both Greek mythology and the bible. Written in the style of a poem, Dante's allegory focuses on the journey of one man to overcome his sin through going through the nine levels of hell in order to reach heaven. Dante travels with another poet who is his guide and represents Human Reason. Having read up to the sixth circle of hell so far, it seems that Dante uses himself as a means to introduce the common man to hell. He uses his own ignorance in order to envelop the readers in his world. In this way, he does not undermine the mystical qualities of hell while introducing information. If Virgil, his guide, were the newcomer he would seem less holy as he would be more humanized. Thus, Dante uses himself as a lens by which one learns the lessons of hell.
Virgil as human reason also has limitations. He knows all about hell, but cannot control all of it. When reaching the lower gates of hell, he cannot force the harpies to let Dante and him pass. This exemplifies the reliance and faith the religious should have in God, according to Dante. In this scene, he also shows that one cannot survive without God's help.
With much of Dante's focus on religion, it is surprising that he wrote in his native tongue, when at the time all religious texts were supposed to be written in Latin. Even though he helped to spread religion to the masses, a major cause of his, it is surprising that a man with such a strong conviction in religion would write in a language considered vulgar at the time.
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