Question

What element of Dante's Inferno shows the reader that he wants to expose corruption in the church?

Answer 1

The correct answer is B. Dante's Inferno attacks the corruption in the Catholic Church by placing many church leaders among the sinners in Hell. Dante was very active in Florentine politics, supporting the Guelphs, as did most of his family. The Guelphs were loyal to the Papacy and fought against the Ghibelines, who were on the side of the Holy Roman Emperor. After defeating the Ghibelines, the Guelphs split between the White Guelphs, which wanted more freedom from Rome, and the Black Guelphs, which remained loyal to the Pope. While the White Guelphs were victorious at first, the Black Guelphs retook power and expelled many of their enemies. Thus, Dante was exiled and would later die in Verona. He directed his resentment at the Papacy and placed many Church leaders, such as Pope Nicholas III and Pope Boniface VIII, in Hell.