In The Divine Comedy

            Michel De Montaigne, a fifteenth century French essayist once said that, "The perpetual work of your life is but to lay the foundation of death. (21st Century Dictionary of Quotation, 1993) In The Divine Comedy, Dante Alighieri conveys the concept that actions throughout life determine the quality of the afterlife. In various instances throughout his work, Dante shows the correlation between actions on Earth and the nature of eternal life. He views life on Earth as a long struggle where the worthiness of Heaven is established. He believes that the path to eternal happiness is not direct, and must be adequately proportioned with suffering. The true nature of the soul is conveyed through anguish.

             The struggle of spirit that Dante undergoes when entering Hell mirrors the trials that humanity faces. The author conveys that in order to persevere through hardship, the nature of evil must be learned and refused. By using Virgil as a representation of reason, Alighieri shows that in order to face evil, morality and intellect are required. As Virgil leads Dante into Hell, he says, "Here you must put by all division of spirit and gather your soul against all cowardice. This is the place I told you to expect. Here you shall pass among the fallen people, souls who have lost the good of intellect." (14-18) With the help of reason, Dante is able to face evil. The author shows that in order to conquer evil, reason, bravery and intellect are required.

             As he is lead through the Dark Wood of Errors, Dante realizes the circumstances by which souls make their descents into Hell. The manner in which people live their lives determines the state of their eternal existence. Dante sees the soulless people waiting on the shore of a beach, waiting to be taken to eternal suffering. Virgil relates to Dante, in regards to these creatures, " .all together they drew to that grim shore where all must come who lose the fear of God.

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