The Divine Comedy

In this epic poem, Dante's alter ego, the Pilgrim, travels through Hell and Purgatory to reach Heaven. His journey is meant to impress upon readers the consequences of sin and the glories of Heaven. • In the first section, commonly known as Dante's Inferno, the spirit of Roman poet Virgil leads Dante's alter ego, the "Pilgrim," through the circles of Hell, where they witness the horrible punishments that sinners have brought upon themselves. • In the second section, Purgatory, Pilgrim meets the souls of those waiting to ascend into Heaven. There, the souls of the saved make penance for their sins, of which they must be cleansed before they can go to Heaven. • In the third section, Pilgrim reaches Heaven. On the way there, he sails through space and sees the planets, which are inhabited by saints. Upon witnessing the majesty of God in his true glory, Pilgrim returns to Earth to write this very poem.