Interpretation of 9 Circles of Hell:
From the book The Divine Comedy Part 1: Dante’s Inferno the story goes through the nine circles of hell. These nine circles and sins have been represented in many different ways. These descriptions are how I interpreted these nine circles of hell and what goes on in each.
From the book The Divine Comedy Part 1: Dante’s Inferno the story goes through the nine circles of hell. These nine circles and sins have been represented in many different ways. These descriptions are how I interpreted these nine circles of hell and what goes on in each.
First Circle Limbo-
This circles punishment is to not be accepted into heaven or hell but stuck in a lesser place. These souls in limbo are tormented to repeat the same steps over and over again while being tormented by wasps and bees. In the drawing above it is to be looked at panel by panel. It shows a faceless person to represent the rejection from heaven and hell. It dose not show the torment of bees and wasps but as the panels go on the faceless person will stab their own hand with a stinger shaped object. Then the figure will turn and this will revel a group of the stinger shaped objects that has gone through the back of the faceless person. Then in the last panel the faceless person will face forward again and you will see circles of blood to show where the stingers have gone through. In the drawing this cycle is drawn twice to show the torment of this happening over and over again.
This circles punishment is to not be accepted into heaven or hell but stuck in a lesser place. These souls in limbo are tormented to repeat the same steps over and over again while being tormented by wasps and bees. In the drawing above it is to be looked at panel by panel. It shows a faceless person to represent the rejection from heaven and hell. It dose not show the torment of bees and wasps but as the panels go on the faceless person will stab their own hand with a stinger shaped object. Then the figure will turn and this will revel a group of the stinger shaped objects that has gone through the back of the faceless person. Then in the last panel the faceless person will face forward again and you will see circles of blood to show where the stingers have gone through. In the drawing this cycle is drawn twice to show the torment of this happening over and over again.
First Circle Limbo Interpretation-
This is a drawing of the first circle limbo as described above. This is how the envision of the first circle will look like.
This is a drawing of the first circle limbo as described above. This is how the envision of the first circle will look like.
Second Circle Lust-
This circles punishment is to be blown violently back and forth by burning winds. This prevents the souls from finding peace. In the drawing above the soul will be depicted as a body being seared by the burning winds. To show that the soul is not in peace it has a similar motion of being thrown around. The motion drawn is meant to show a abrupt stop and start while being thrown around by the winds. The abruptness of the winds shows constantly being moved around like this will not allow any person to focus and find peace.
This circles punishment is to be blown violently back and forth by burning winds. This prevents the souls from finding peace. In the drawing above the soul will be depicted as a body being seared by the burning winds. To show that the soul is not in peace it has a similar motion of being thrown around. The motion drawn is meant to show a abrupt stop and start while being thrown around by the winds. The abruptness of the winds shows constantly being moved around like this will not allow any person to focus and find peace.
Third Circle Gluttony-
In this circle the punishment is for the souls to lie in this vile sludge that is produced from the never ending icy rain. In this circle you are not able to see anyone else. This vile sludge is to represent how disgusting and degrading the souls of the gluttons are. Not able to see anyone else shows the selfishness and blunt disregard of others. Also the guardian of this circle is Cerberus. Mostly known as the guard of the gates of hell in this story he is in charge of watching the gluttons. In the drawing above it shows the souls of the gluttons being stuck in the sludge and in the ice rain. The things that are changed is that the souls will be eating the sludge they lay in. It is changed to this to show more of there need to consume and if they will consume in hell then they will gorge on their own filth. Also one of the gluttons is shown eating another person. This is to show how much they really don’t care about other people. They are so blinded by their need to consume they don’t realize that they are eating another person. These actions are to mimic the original punishment of not being able to see anyone else. In Dante’s Inferno Cerberus is described as a dog like shape that is mostly muscle with three heads. That is how Cerberus some of the time looks like a worm like creature. Most other times Cerberus is just a three headed dog. To combine these two ideas of Cerberus the body and most of the heads still look like a dogs but the mouths are extended outwards showing the muscles of the mouth and being misshaped in the form of a worm like mouth.
In this circle the punishment is for the souls to lie in this vile sludge that is produced from the never ending icy rain. In this circle you are not able to see anyone else. This vile sludge is to represent how disgusting and degrading the souls of the gluttons are. Not able to see anyone else shows the selfishness and blunt disregard of others. Also the guardian of this circle is Cerberus. Mostly known as the guard of the gates of hell in this story he is in charge of watching the gluttons. In the drawing above it shows the souls of the gluttons being stuck in the sludge and in the ice rain. The things that are changed is that the souls will be eating the sludge they lay in. It is changed to this to show more of there need to consume and if they will consume in hell then they will gorge on their own filth. Also one of the gluttons is shown eating another person. This is to show how much they really don’t care about other people. They are so blinded by their need to consume they don’t realize that they are eating another person. These actions are to mimic the original punishment of not being able to see anyone else. In Dante’s Inferno Cerberus is described as a dog like shape that is mostly muscle with three heads. That is how Cerberus some of the time looks like a worm like creature. Most other times Cerberus is just a three headed dog. To combine these two ideas of Cerberus the body and most of the heads still look like a dogs but the mouths are extended outwards showing the muscles of the mouth and being misshaped in the form of a worm like mouth.
Forth Circle Greed-
For this circle the original punishment of pushing heavy objects with the chests of the greedy will not be shown in the drawing. This drawing is meant to show the two type of greed that is described in Dante’s Inferno. The two types of greed are ones who hoarded all of their possessions and others who blindly spent it. The first group of greedy souls shown are ones who blindly spent their fortunes will be asked to give up body parts and organs in exchange for a great prize witch they can see above them. When they give up parts of their body they feel all the pain but they are to fixated on the prize they are willing to hurt themselves in such gruesome ways. Of corse they will never get the prize. Under them will be the greedy souls that hoarded their possessions. With out realizing it these souls will be collecting the falling body parts of the other greedy souls. All they want is to have more and more no matter what it is. The weight of the falling body parts will eventually crush the souls. This is repeated over and over again.
For this circle the original punishment of pushing heavy objects with the chests of the greedy will not be shown in the drawing. This drawing is meant to show the two type of greed that is described in Dante’s Inferno. The two types of greed are ones who hoarded all of their possessions and others who blindly spent it. The first group of greedy souls shown are ones who blindly spent their fortunes will be asked to give up body parts and organs in exchange for a great prize witch they can see above them. When they give up parts of their body they feel all the pain but they are to fixated on the prize they are willing to hurt themselves in such gruesome ways. Of corse they will never get the prize. Under them will be the greedy souls that hoarded their possessions. With out realizing it these souls will be collecting the falling body parts of the other greedy souls. All they want is to have more and more no matter what it is. The weight of the falling body parts will eventually crush the souls. This is repeated over and over again.
Fifth Circle Anger-
The fifth circle holds two types of sins the wrathful and the slothful souls. Both of these sins are punished in the river Styx watch over by Phlegyas. The wrathful are on the surface of the river Styx. They are locked in an endless battle fueled by the highest level of anger. The slothful are force to the bottom of the river Styx there to drown forever. In the drawing the river Styx is very similar to how it is described in the story.
The fifth circle holds two types of sins the wrathful and the slothful souls. Both of these sins are punished in the river Styx watch over by Phlegyas. The wrathful are on the surface of the river Styx. They are locked in an endless battle fueled by the highest level of anger. The slothful are force to the bottom of the river Styx there to drown forever. In the drawing the river Styx is very similar to how it is described in the story.
Sixth Circle Heresy-
In the sixth circle there are tombs that the souls burn forever. This in description was a simpler one. The way that Dante was introduced to is that one of the souls came up from the tomb to talk to Dante. This scene is the one that is shown in the drawing.
In the sixth circle there are tombs that the souls burn forever. This in description was a simpler one. The way that Dante was introduced to is that one of the souls came up from the tomb to talk to Dante. This scene is the one that is shown in the drawing.
Seventh Circle Violence-
This circle is divided into three parts. The different types of violence are murderers who kill there fellow people, suicides are the people who cause harm to themselves resulting in death, and blasphemers who are violent towards God. The punishments are for murderers being in a river of boiling blood and fire, suicides are turned into trees and fed on by harpies, and blasphemers are in a desert of burning sand and rain of fire. Since these punishments are represented as rings the outer part of the drawing is the first ring murderers. The second ring going in is suicides and the third ring for blasphemers. The drawing shows a overhead view of each of the circles and there punishments.
This circle is divided into three parts. The different types of violence are murderers who kill there fellow people, suicides are the people who cause harm to themselves resulting in death, and blasphemers who are violent towards God. The punishments are for murderers being in a river of boiling blood and fire, suicides are turned into trees and fed on by harpies, and blasphemers are in a desert of burning sand and rain of fire. Since these punishments are represented as rings the outer part of the drawing is the first ring murderers. The second ring going in is suicides and the third ring for blasphemers. The drawing shows a overhead view of each of the circles and there punishments.
Eight Circle Fraud-
There are many different types of fraud. In this circle the different types of fraud are divided by 10 stony ditches. In the 1st ditch there are panderers(people who produce sexual partners for customers) and seducers, 2nd ditch are for flatterers, 3rd ditch is for simony, 4th ditch are sorcerers and false prophets, 5th ditch are for corrupt politicians, 6th ditch are for hypocrites, 7th ditch are for thieves, 8th ditch are for evil counselors and advisers, 9th ditch are for divisive individuals, and the 10th ditch are for alchemists, perjurers and counterfeits. The drawing is divided into 10 different groups representing each ditch. Each of the 10 groups depicts what type of fraud is in it.
There are many different types of fraud. In this circle the different types of fraud are divided by 10 stony ditches. In the 1st ditch there are panderers(people who produce sexual partners for customers) and seducers, 2nd ditch are for flatterers, 3rd ditch is for simony, 4th ditch are sorcerers and false prophets, 5th ditch are for corrupt politicians, 6th ditch are for hypocrites, 7th ditch are for thieves, 8th ditch are for evil counselors and advisers, 9th ditch are for divisive individuals, and the 10th ditch are for alchemists, perjurers and counterfeits. The drawing is divided into 10 different groups representing each ditch. Each of the 10 groups depicts what type of fraud is in it.
Ninth Circle Treachery-
This is the last of the circles. This is covered in a lake of ice. This is another circle that in terms of description is a simpler one to envision. The more serious the treachery the farther you go down in the lake. This is also were Lucifer is held. There he is described to have a upper body that stretches across the frozen lake of the ninth circle. His wings that look similar to other demons cover the top of the ninth circle. Lucifer has two other heads that hold the most extreme sinners on earth. One of the sinners in his mouth sinned so great on earth that his soul went to hell and his body remained on earth. In each mouth the soul is chewed on for all eternity feeling that pain for ever.
This is the last of the circles. This is covered in a lake of ice. This is another circle that in terms of description is a simpler one to envision. The more serious the treachery the farther you go down in the lake. This is also were Lucifer is held. There he is described to have a upper body that stretches across the frozen lake of the ninth circle. His wings that look similar to other demons cover the top of the ninth circle. Lucifer has two other heads that hold the most extreme sinners on earth. One of the sinners in his mouth sinned so great on earth that his soul went to hell and his body remained on earth. In each mouth the soul is chewed on for all eternity feeling that pain for ever.