In Dante Alighieri’s Inferno, Alighieri describes many punishments due to sin. Although this purpose might upset modern readers who do not think of themselves as sinners, Alighieri’s audience, however, believed the greater the sin, the greater the grace would be. Fully aware of their sins, the audience saw God’s overwhelming love manifested through the mercy of forgiveness, so they could have hope in the midst of the bleakness of sin. When reading Inferno, the reader must also remember that the book is allegorical in nature and not always taken literally. For example, the punishment of the lustful, being blown about by stormy winds for eternity with one’s beloved, does not seem so bad at first glance, and it might even be exciting and adventurous.
