• Dante called his poem a COMEDY.

In classic
terminology, a comedy is a work that begins in misery
or deep confusion and ends in elation or happiness. In
Shakespearean comedy, the play often begins in
confusion — couples breaking up or separating, but
ends with everyone finding the right partner. In other
words, a comedy is not something one would laugh
about, but an ascension from a low state of confusion to
one where all people are combined for the greatest
happiness.
• The adjective "DIVINE" was added by a sixteenth-
century editor and publisher and has been retained ever
since.
In this epic poem, Dante's alter ego, the pilgrim, travels through hell and purgatory to
reach heaven. His journey is meant to impress upon readers the consequences of sin and
the glories of heaven.

In the first section, commonly known as DANTE'S INFERNO, the spirit of Roman poet
Virgil leads Dante's alter ego, the "Pilgrim," through the circles of Hell, where they witness
the horrible punishments that sinners have brought upon themselves.

In the second section, PURGATORY, Pilgrim meets the souls of those waiting to ascend
into Heaven. There, the souls of the saved make penance for their sins, of which they
must be cleansed before they can go to Heaven.

In the third section, PARADISO, Pilgrim reaches Heaven. On the way there, he sails
through space and sees the planets, which are inhabited by saints. Upon witnessing the
majesty of God in his true glory, Pilgrim returns to Earth to write this very poem.
The poets climb Satan's side,
passing the center of gravity,
and find themselves at the edge
of the river Lethe, ready to
make the long journey to the
upper world. They enter the
upper world just before dawn
on Easter Sunday, and they see
the stars overhead.
END