1) I believe the punishments somewhat fit the crimes – In the second level, “carnal malefactors,” those overcome by lust, have to constantly feel the ebb and flow that lust provides by having their souls blown around in a storm. The addictive and isolating nature of gluttony is personified in the Third Circle, wherein a glutton is “of the rain / Eternal, maledict and cold, and heavy; its law and quality are never new.” The Fourth Circle punishes greedy people by making them fight each other while holding giant weights, representing the baggage they must carry with all their material possessions.
2) Upper Hell, for the most part, contains areas for sins of the flesh, ones that come from a deep-seated desire for something, or a feeling that happens in the moment – for example, the need to eat, or have sex, or make money. In Lower Hell, however, these sins are more for betraying the word of God, and turning away from him intellectually – the acts of violence, heresy, and treachery are all lasting and damning in the eyes of God. Upper Hell does not have many demons, unlike Lower Hell.
3) From my perspective, Hell is other people; there would be no real division of realms based on whatever sin that person committed, particularly as people commit all kinds of sins. Instead, I believe Hell is something a bit more personal than Dante would have it; everyone has their own personal demons to face, and they would have to face them alone, without any help. It is something I feel would be far more effective and horrifying than a “rapist” wing or a “murderer” wing of Hell, as Dante somewhat describes it.
4) For the First Circle of Hell, I would put myself, to be honest. While I am not a religious person, I do attempt to do as well as I can, being a good person and kind to others. Therefore, I would end up in limbo, as I would be considered a “virtuous pagan.” The Second Circle would be Cong. Anthony Wiener, as he fell prey to lust when tweeting personal pictures to young girls outside his marriage. The Third Circle would likely be home for Paula Deen, who creates crazy, fattening concoctions of butter and maple syrup. The Fourth Circle belongs to Donald Trump, who seeks out money over everything, looking down on those who are not ‘successful.’
The Fifth Circle would contain celebrity chef Gordon Ramsey, as he perpetually conveys a bitter and angry attitude towards others. The Sixth Circle would contain Richard Dawkins, famed evolutionary biologist, as he rejects the word of God, and is considered a heretic. The Seventh Circle would contain Russell Crowe, as he often is caught up in scandals regarding violence upon others. The Eighth Circle would be home to Bernie Madoff, who used a Ponzi scheme to cheat millions out of their money, making $65 billion in fraudulent funds. In the Ninth Circle of Hell the most treacherous person must be found, and so I would pick someone who committed grave injustices – Charles Manson. In the 70’s he led a cult that wound up murdering several innocent people and ruining the lives of the cultists, and for that he would likely end up in the center of Hell.
Works Cited
Dante. The Divine Comedy. Everypoet.com, 1321. Retrieved from
