Question

In what ways did Dante’s epic poem reflect Christian beliefs during the Middle Ages?

Answer 1

Dante's poem, the Divine Comedy written in the 14th-century, reflect Christian beliefs in the Middle Ages in many ways:

1. Life after death - Dante in his sickbed went to hell and saw it for himself in first person with a Roman poet, Virgil. They saw how the dead went back to life in hell. They suffered there, they were tortured there, and they were executed there but since they don't die anymore, the process is in perpetuity.

2. Purgatory, hell, and heaven - Dante, in his sickbed travelled to hell, purgatory, and later heaven before he came back to his senses.

3. satan, devils, angels, saints, and God - Dante saw devils in his travel to hell. At the very bottom of hell, he saw the frozen satan. In his way to heaven, he saw the saints. Later, he saw God as three equally sized circles symbolizing the Father Son and Holy Spirit.