The 14th Century Perception of Dante's Inferno: A Life-Building Epic

After Dante Alighieri was exiled from his native Florence, his life became equally challenging, much like that of a homeless person today. However, despite his troubles, Dante was well-known and recognized wherever he wandered.

Immediate Fame and Surviving Manuscripts

Almost immediately, The Divine Comedy, the masterpiece of which Inferno is the first part, gained significant fame. It is astonishing to note that there were over 400 manuscript copies of the entire Divine Comedy, belonging to the 14th century alone. This is particularly remarkable given that the printing press was not yet invented; paper and ink were expensive, and each of the 14,233 lines in the poem had to be copied by hand, a process that was both time-consuming and labor-intensive.

This number is even more impressive when compared to Beowulf, arguably the most famous Old English poem, of which only one surviving manuscript exists. The prevalence of The Divine Comedy manuscripts reflects the poem's cultural and literary importance during the 14th century.

Remarkable Reception and Commentaries

The influence of the poem extended beyond mere copying; it also sparked immediate critical engagement. People began writing commentaries on the poem almost immediately following its publication. Dante died in 1321, shortly after completing the Paradiso, the final part of the Divine Comedy. His son, Jacopo, published the first commentary the very next year. The Princeton Dante Project lists 19 commentaries on the poem from the thirteenth century alone, underscoring the significant attention paid to this work during Dante's lifetime.

Such a large number of commentaries, given the difficulty and cost of writing at the time, suggests that Inferno and the overall Divine Comedy were widely recognized and discussed, indicating a profound cultural impact.

Contemporary Reception

There is a story about Dante while he was in exile, as recorded by Boccaccio. According to the tale, Dante was walking through the streets when he overheard some women discussing him. They noted the singed look of his dark beard and recounted how Dante went into Hell accompanied by Virgil. Though Boccaccio is known for embellishing stories, this anecdote gives an idea of the public's perception of Inferno. Even in his own lifetime, Dante's poem had earned him a significant level of fame.

These details paint a picture of how Inferno shaped the cultural landscape of the 14th century, influencing not only literature but also the public's imagination and public discourse.

Keywords: Dante's Inferno, 14th Century, Divine Comedy