"Dante and Shakespeare divide the world between them, there is no third."
-T.S. Eliot

After reading Dante's  Inferno until Canto IX, I can say that I favor Dante's writing compared to Shakespeare's any day.  Dante's Inferno is a pieceof unsurpassed GENIUS; the way he "organized" hell into the degrees of how grave the sins are and how he described each circle is really, truly brilliant. 

I really admire, no, I am in awe, as to how Dante classified the sins into circles of Hell. Only an enlightened mind could have written it as well as Alighieri. I especially loved how the vestibule or the entrance of hell was a place where the "lukewarm" angels were. I also found the first circle of hell to be so well thought out. The first circle are the "virtuous pagans" or those who were not baptized. Included in this circle were the men and women who relied on human reason alone. Dante's genius was portrayed even more when he described that the first circle received rays of light: the light of human reason alone, and not God's love. And he also stated that in this circle, their only punishment was never having hope of ever reaching heaven. 

Each punishment, for example: the winds that whip the lustful back and forth, seems to fit in perfectly to each sin. The lustful received that "death sentence" because they allowed their passions to cloud their judgment. 

One very small detail I really appreciated in Dante's work was that in Hell, the damned cannot ever say God's name. All they can ever do is blame or blaspheme Him. 

SEE? Dante's way of words, his great attention to detail, his description of every circle corresponds exactly to what hell would actually be like. As I said, the Inferno is a stroke of genius. 

Aside from the anticipation of knowing what lies in the next circle, another reason that made the Inferno so exciting to read was the presence of many historical figures such as Cleopatra, Achilles, Paris, etc. I found it so interesting in learning where these people, whose pasts I know from history or mythology books,  end up in Hell. Speaking of mythology, I loved how Dante fused Catholic beliefs with Greek mythological monsters! Using both "pagan" and Catholic beliefs makes one feel that no matter what religion, there will always be a hell waiting for the disobedient and the wicked in the afterlife. 

Dante wrote the Inferno in such a way that many could read easily and understand properly without sacrificing the quality in his words, thank goodness (this is one of the many reasons why I like him more than Shakespeare)! He portrayed himself not really as an esteemed poet but as a normal person that had strayed away from the light; he was afraid and vulnerable. I think I can say that as a character, Dante is very relatable. That's why I enjoyed it so much as well! 

Also, he described hell so well that once you enter the gates, you will really feel like you've entered the winding circles of the damned. You'll feel the things Dante is feeling; you'll experience the emotions he is going through. As a person who personally prefers prose to poetry, not many poets can move me with his words. 

That's why I say HATS OFF to the Florentine, Dante Alighieri who has created a masterpiece as timeless as the existence of the inferno. 

-Mia Esguerra