Prompt 1:

1) What does the inscription on the gates of Hell imply about the divine perspective on the sinful and about the place of Hell in God's plan? Consider, for instance, the phrase "PRIMORDIAL LOVE" -- how does Hell being formed with love seem strange to our modern ears? How does the inscription indirectly explain why the damned are so eager to cross Acheron and receive their punishment?

The gates of Hell's inscription, states that all who enter must leave hope behind. Dante describes hell has a place where the sinners want to be punished. In life the sinners in Hell did not let God into there life, or did not follow is divine rulings. The sins are what take away there hope. God takes away the only thing that they could possibly have in Hell which is hope. . Virgil describes the people in hell by saying “souls who have lost the good of intellect.”(18) The quote shows Dante’s view of all the people in Hell, which is that they are all not intelligent, for not following the ways of God. I believe this explains Gods view of the sinners, for he takes away everything they have. The inscription also describes God's view on hell that it is a hopeless place and that those who enter need to face there sins, because they will have to live with them for eternity.

We as average Americans are raised and instilled upon that Hell is a place to fear. Most Christians work everyday to avoid this place. . Dante even mentions that the cries of the people in Hell made his soul “spill into tear” (18). This shows that even Dante doesn’t find it to be a pleasant place or a place he wants to go. We often reference Hell when symbolizing bad things. This natural fear of Hell describes our strange feelings towards Hell being referenced with love. It is very difficult for us to see any relation to hell and love which Dante seems to make a connection with. The quote “Primordial Love” indirectly explains the sinners’ eagerness, by giving them fair knowledge that things are going to get better and that they will have to pay for there sins. This goes along with that all sinners, as part of there punishment, have to want to be punished. After giving up all hope at the gates and wanting to be punished the sinners have nothing else but to be eager to start there eternity of endless pain.

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