Dante's Allusion of Spiritual and Temporal Authority in 'The Divine Comedy - Inferno' in the 13th Century City of Florence

Essay from the year 2022 in the subject Literature - Medieval Literature, , language: English, abstract: The late 1300s in Florence were a scandalous period for the Roman Catholic Church and the Holy Roman Empire (HRE). The imaginative illustrations of the Nine Circles of Hell contribute to a more vivid depiction of this. Dante's rich imaginative concept can be interpreted in this study as a harsh rebuke of social ills caused by the power struggle between the HRE and the Church during this period. This epic considers the socio-political and moral circumstances of this spectacular time period and interprets 'The Divine Comedy: Inferno' as a classical satire. This medieval poem is a challenge to the author's political and religious antagonists, as well as the papacy's ethical positions. The study describes the strict theological values and doctrines to which the Italian poet Dante Alighieri strictly adhered during his lifetime. As a result, it should come as no surprise that the text presents a moral argument for readers to evaluate for themselves. This is proper, as Dante indirectly justifies his characters in the Inferno from a moral standpoint as well. He does this by alluding to historical events of the 13th century, as do we. He simultaneously justified each allusion based on the nature of their sins. At the end of this study, it is clear that social reform is the central concept.