قصة الكتاب :
The Divine Comedy is an Italian poem written by Dante Alighieri between the years 1308 and 1320. The poem is divided into three parts viz. Inferno, Purgatorio and Paradiso (Hell, Purgatory and Paradise). Each part consists of thirty-three corners with around a hundred verses each. The poem is a literary and imaginative representation of the after-life and corroborates with the medieval world-view that existed in the 14th century in Dante’s time, as shaped by the Western church. Originally titled La commedia, it is considered as one of the world’s great works of literature. The narrative traces the literal journey of the soul after death. It describes Dante’s travels from darkness to light culminating in the vision of God. The work is a representation of the knowledge of his time ranging from philosophy to science to theology. It is rich in moral and allegorical meaning. rn
rnDante created his own architecture of the places he wrote about in his book. This has established itself in popular culture and is referenced to commonly when discussions arise. Hell lies at the bottom of a conical depression that opens up below Jerusalem and reaches the center of the Earth. The depression has been created as a result of the fall of Lucifer, the rebellious angel, who has been nailed to the bottom of the abyss. The land that falls out when the depression is formed lands in the southern hemisphere exactly opposite to Jerusalem. The top of this conical mountain is where Dante’s Paradise sits. The depression consists of several concentric circles, across which the condemned souls lie scattered according to the gravity of their sins. The conical mountain itself represents Purgatory. There are seven bands that represent the seven deadly sins and along with anti-Purgatory and Paradise the number nine is reached. Paradise lies in heaven, where nine spheres circle with larger orbits and faster movements around the Earth. Above this all lies the blazing Empire where God shines. rn
rnThe entire history of Western literature and theology served as fodder for Dante when he created this literary masterpiece. Florentine Tuscan became the lingua franca of Italy as a result of Dante’s popular poem and Florence established itself as the creative hub of the Renaissance. The narration is in the first person. Dante describes his own journey to Hell and Purgatory with a guide, the Roman poet Virgil. This is followed by the journey to Heaven led by Beatrice, a woman he felt romantic longing for but passed away too soon. The narrative, therefore, served as a sort of imaginary wish-fulfillment by the author. Dante mixed Christian theology with Greco-Roman myth and wrote about both simultaneously as if they were both true. The Divine Comedy serves as a fulcrum of Western history and is the Western literature’s own theory of everything.rn