Vincent Pindell

Ms. Skirtich
4/23/18
English 10: World Literature
Monster Mash

Have you ever wondered what Hell even is like? Dante Alighieri was from the Renaissance Era

and wrote The Divine Comedy, which explains his journey through Hell, Purgatory, and Heaven.

During Dante's journey through "Inferno" with Virgil, each circle has a monster/guardian for the

sinners that is controlled by God to punish the sinners that are placed there. Dante Alighieri

exhibits monsters in Hell as fitting guardians in "Inferno" through their backstories, their

physical appearance, and their law of retribution.

Dante Alighieri exhibits monsters in Hell as fitting guardians in "Inferno" through their

backstories. One instance where a backstory arises through Minos in circle 2 "There Minos sits,

grinning, grotesque, and hale, He examines each lost soul as it arrives and delivers his verdict

with his coiling tale"(Alighieri 35). This quote explains Minos is the judge for where ever the

sinners are placed due to their punishments on Earth. This is a good fit for Minos because while

he was on Earth, he was the king of Crete, and judged many people, and decides what they

should do for their Country to surpass others. Another instance of a backstory arises through

Plutus in circle 4, "As puffed out sails fall when mast gives way, and flutter to a self-convulsing

heap so collapsed Plutus into that dead clay" (Alighieri 52). This quote explains that Plutus was

thrown into Hell due to his actions on Earth. While he was there, he was considered the Greek

god of wealth, and he could turn anything he wanted into jewels, gold, or other extravagant

items. These backstories exhibit Dantes reason for putting these monsters in their place.
 Secondly, Dante Alighieri exhibits monsters in Hell as fitting guardians in "Inferno" through

their physical appearance. One example of how Dante assigns the monster is Lucifer in Circle 9

of Hell, "If he was once as beautiful as now, he is hideous, and still turned on his Maker well

may he bethe source of every woe!"(Alighieri 280) This quote explains Lucifer physical

appearance in "Inferno". Lucifer is the monster of Judeca, the lowest part of Hell. Before Hell

even existed, He was an angel that was adored by God. Later, Lucifer turned on God, and

became the worst angel through challenging God by war. Lucifer now lives in Hell with gigantic

wings that fuels the cold in Cocytus with some hideous features of his body. Another example of

how Dante assigns the monster is Geryon in the circle 8 of fraud."His face was innocent of every

guile, begin and just in feature and expression, and his body was half reptile."(Alighieri 135).

This quote explains the bodily features of Geryon in Hell. In circle 7, Geryon is the monster that

controls the sinners of fraud. During his life on Earth, he was a Greek god, and a giant. He

misled many people and swindled their minds. Now he sits in hell with his normal face with a

half reptile body. The reason he is shaped like that is because his face is so convincing, but his

reptile body will always show how dark he is.

Furthermore, Dante Alighieri exhibits monsters in Hell as fitting guardians in

"Inferno" through their law of retribution. One example on how Dante expresses the law of

retribution through Lucifer in circle 9. "They were not feathers their texture and their form

were like a bat's wings and he beat them so that three winds blew from him in one great

storm" (Alighieri, 280) This quote explains not only the physical appearance of Lucifer, but

also the punishment for him, and the sinners in this circle. Their punishment is that they are

almost completely covered in ice, and have strong winds blew at them from Lucifers wings.

The law of retribution correlates to Lucifer due to his cold-heartedness, and his lack of love
from God. Another example on how Dante shows the law of retribution through Cerberus in

circle 3."Here monstrous Cerberus, the revenging beast, howls through his triple throats like

a mad dog over the spirts sunk in that foul paste."(Alighieri 45) In this quote, it explains

Cerberus appearance the glutton's punishment which is that they are eaten by Cerberus who

is a three-headed dog. This is related to his wrongdoings on Earth since he ate so much on

Earth, he now eats the sinners without stopping. The law of retribution correlates with Dantes

plan of these monsters being fitting guardians for "Infeno."

In conclusion, Dante Alighieri exhibits monsters in Hell as fitting guardians in

"Inferno" through their backstories, their physical appearance, and their law of retribution.

Dante shows these monsters throughout "Inferno" to make the readers scared so that the last

place they want to be is with one of these monsters in Hell forever.