This course explores Inferno, the first canticle of the Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri (1265–1321), which describes the poet’s journey through Hell. It examines the religious foundations of Dante’s vision of damnation, and compares the “Inferno” to classical, Christian, and Islamic descriptions of otherworldly journeys. The course analyzes how different classical and medieval cultures contributed to shape the poem’s portrayal of sin, justice, and the afterlife.