The season of autumn and the falling of leaves during that time of year is referenced in Cantos III. In autumn, the weather starts to get cooler and the trees begin to lose their leaves and ultimately die, not being able to do anything to stop their fate. The souls at the Gate and Vestibule of Hell are compared to the leaves that fall during the season of autumn because of their inability to determine and control their fate. Leaves that are falling are unwillingly blown by the wind and brought to the ground like the souls waiting to meet their fate. These souls are waiting in the Vestibule of Hell to see their fate that they mainly have no control over.

In Dante’s Inferno, Dante witnesses souls waiting to be told what level of Hell they will be going to. Dante and Virgil make their way across the Acheron River with the boatman Charon while Dante notices condemned souls trying to escape the river and climb into the boat. There is a multitude of souls Dante sees that are all helpless and desperate, just like leaves falling off of trees in the fall. These leaves and trees have to eventually die and in the Inferno, the souls and sinners know they will be going to some level of Hell eventually. They are eager to meet their fate, yet they know it will not be in their favor.

More metaphors by Dante are provided by this website.

The phrase “all hope abandon, ye that enter here” was originally seen in Dante’s version of the Inferno and the Divine Comedy in general. Translated from “Lasciate ogne speranza, voi ch’intrate”, this sentence was inscribed above the Gate of Hell to ‘welcome’ the new damned souls. This is one of the most famous lines from Dante’s writing and has been referenced hundreds of years after his work.

When Dante first sees this message, he is puzzled about what it exactly says and asks his guide Virgil to explain it to him. Virgil explains the meaning of the inscription and Dante is immediately disturbed by the implication. He automatically assumes the message is referring to him but is comforted by Virgil. The sign above the gate expresses pain and desperation as sinners reach the Gate of Hell and await their fate. It conveys that anyone can be a sinner and go to Hell and that all their hope should be lost when this happens.

More information on phrases, languages, and other themes in the Inferno, click here.

At the end of Cantos III, this particular experience in Hell is explained by Dante and refers to the horror and pain he feels after this experience, just at the beginning levels of Hell with Virgil. Hell is known to be a terrorizing place and can leave a lasting memory in the minds of those that visit it, especially Dante who explains to be very affected by this experience.

Dante thinks back and reflects on the heart wrenching event he endured that should never be seen by mortals and those souls that do not need to be near Hell. Dante was so perturbed by this experience and this new memory will reside with him for time to come, always having a negative context in his mind. This line shows that just when Dante thinks about the time, he is fearful and sweats because of the anxiety this experience puts on him.

To have a chilling experience with a virtual tour in Hell, click here.

This particular line in Cantos III demonstrates how the souls in the Vestibule of Hell feel and shows their assumed thoughts while they await their fate. At the Gate and Vestibule of Hell, these souls wait to see what their fate will be and which part of Hell they will be going to. They currently reside between the different worlds and know that their eternity does not involve Heaven.

Dante points out that these souls being condemned to a new fate are not happy with what is to come for them and are jealous of those who do not need to go through what they are going through and get to go to Heaven for the rest of eternity. Dante is first at the Vestibule of Hell with these souls and witnessing how they are envious of other souls that will ultimately have a better fate than them.

To learn about a video game possibly being created regarding the Inferno that incorporates sins and punishments, visit this article.

Cowards and Neutrals are found at the waiting area of Hell because of their actions while they were living souls. They have not crossed over the Acheron River and still await their fate in the underworld. First, the Cowards represent those who failed to make moral choices and stand up for themselves while alive, so therefore they are not wanted by Heaven or Hell. Likewise, the Neutrals had souls that did not take the side of God or Satan, so they are also rejected by Heaven and Hell and are also accompanied by angels who failed to do the same.

These Cowards and Neutrals are at the Gate and Vestibule of Hell where Dante and Virgil go before they cross the Acheron River. The Cowards and Neutrals are the first souls Dante and Virgil come across as they begin to enter the first levels of Hell. Dante is perplexed at first when he hears the horrifying cries of the souls and he soon finds out from Virgil that these cries are coming from the Cowards and Neutrals in the Vestibule of Hell that have been rejected from Heaven and Hell.

Here is an image of Cowards and Neutrals in the Vestibule of Hell awaiting their fate.

In Cantos III, the River Acheron is a river that the boatman Charon brings the souls across to go to the underworld. It was the first of three rivers the souls had to cross into the cynical world and was called the River of Woe or the River of Pain. This river marked the border of the underworld and living souls and was also a real river in Greece.

The River Acheron in Cantos III was the river that Dante and his guide Virgil had to cross over to get to the other side of the underworld and closer to the next level of Hell. Charon was the boatman Virgil and Dante encountered before they ventured across the river who also refused to bring their live souls to the underworld. In addition, the River Acheron kept indecisive sinners, such as those who made no good or bad choices, away from true sinners in Hell that committed careless actions.

A description of other rivers in the underworld can be found here.

In Dante’s Inferno, Charon was known as the boatman that brought doomed souls across the Acheron River or the River of Pain. Loved ones would place two coins on the eyes of the person that has passed to pay the boatman who brings them to the next level of Hell. Without the payment, Charon leaves the souls on the far side of the river and takes only the damned souls that pay.

Charon is in the Inferno in Cantos III when he refuses to transport Dante and Virgil across the Acheron river to the underworld. He knows they are mortals when they come to the river and try to cross it, so he advises them that they should not be there near the dead. However, Virgil has been there before and is familiar with the system of getting across the river. He tells Charon that they have been sent by a higher power and he ultimately bring them across to the lower world.

To play a Greek mythology game and learn more about Greek gods like Charon, click here.

Dante references the holy trinity or the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. He describes the Father as being the “Might divine”, “the highest Wisdom” as the Son, and the primal Love as the Holy Spirit. This interval of 3 shown from the holy trinity in Cantos III is also a symbol of divinity and entirety, especially within a biblical context.

The holy trinity is used in the Inferno to explain how hell was created and the origins of it. Dante was heavily influenced by Catholicism and had a strong perspective on the religion, so he would clearly reference the trinity and apply unique origins to hell that essentially makes sense to him. He wanted to convey how Hell was created out of love to explain to sinners what it is like to live without love, the importance of love, and also to have morals behind their actions. To see more information on the symbolism of the number three, visit this website.

Justice is referenced throughout Dante’s Inferno, especially in Cantos III when the reader is given a description of Dante’s first thoughts and what he first experiences at the Gate and Vestibule of Hell. This phrase is also inscribed above the Gate of Hell and greets new souls that have come to accept their fate after sinning. The high exalted Maker, or God, requires that sinners are punished for their actions after going against him and his love. It can be seen that God wanted to create Hell for the sake of justice and to show sinners how special his love and wisdom was, making sure they knew they could be punished for the bad they did.

Justice in this part of the Inferno is seen right as Dante and Virgil reach the Gate of Hell and enter the Vestibule. Souls that did not choose between good and bad are found here in the Vestibule or the outermost level of Hell where they still suffer and endure a great deal of pain. Their punishments here also seem to fit their sins on Earth where they can be stung by hornets and have their blood drawn from insects.

To learn more about the theme of Justice and divinity in the Inferno, click here.

The Gate of Hell represents the threshold for sinners where they cross over into a cynical world. Similarly, the Vestibule of Hell is used as a waiting area for souls, especially those who have never made any decisions in their life and didn’t take the side of either good or bad, only doing things for themselves. These souls were called the Neutrals and at the Vestibule, the Greek gods would allot souls their specific level in Hell. In addition, this waiting area in Hell includes punishments such as getting stung by hornets and maggots feasting on bodies.

The Gate and Vestibule of Hell are used as an introduction in Dante’s Inferno where Dante first reaches this cynical world. He is accompanied to the Gate and Vestibule by his guide, Virgil, but has not passed into Hell yet when he reaches this threshold. At first, Dante is perplexed and alarmed when Virgil leads him to Hell where he can hear various cries of suffering and despair from the condemned souls.

Here is a painting of the Gate of Hell with Virgil and Dante outside.