"The Divine Comedy" and "Confessions"

Paper Summary:

This paper examines how these two literary works are both thought-provoking accounts of man's relationship with God. While both spiritual journeys recognize the grace of God, each author uses different techniques to guide the reader to make his or her own decisions. The writer relates that, while "The Divine Comedy" is a fictional account with the reader as the intended audience, "Confessions" is based on Augustine's personal conversion experience and is written not only for the reader, but for God as well.

From the Paper:

"While Dante reaches the same conclusion as Augustine does, his story is filled with allegories and symbols to prove his point. Perhaps the most vivid descriptions we discover in "The Divine Comedy" are the descriptions of hell in Inferno section of the story. The inclusion of Hell is also a significant difference from Augustine's "Confessions." Dante's descent into hell is frightening and filled with suffering. The fact that Hell is divided into sections according to levels of sin illustrates how the poet placed an incredible amount of thought into his work."

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