“My purpose was to stroll into the shade for a moment; but no sooner within that it seemed to me I had stepped into the gloomy circle of some Inferno.” (pg. 19)
This sentence is an allusion to the epic poem, Dante’s Inferno, or as it is otherwise known, the first part of The Divine Comedy. The poem entails the protagonist, Dante, making his way through the nine “circles,” or levels, of Hell in an attempt to discover God. Much like Marlow, Dante’s purpose is virtuous; he merely wants to ascend into heaven. However, Dante must endure a gruesome journey through the Inferno before achieving his goal, similarly to how Marlow must undergo hardship along the Congo. In addition to the comparison made between Marlow and Dante, Conrad's description of Marlow's descent into the Congo strikingly resembles the beginning of the epic poem; Dante thinks his approaching journey will be simple, but is greatly mistaken when he stumbles toward the “Gates of Hell,” just like Marlow thinks little of the dangers of his trip until he is engulfed by its darkness.
"Dante's Inferno - Main Page." Danteworlds. Web. 12 Aug. 2009. http://danteworlds.laits.utexas.edu/index2.html
"Inferno (Dante) -." Wikipedia. Web. 12 Aug. 2009. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inferno_(Dante)
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Good article...Dante's Devine Comedy is really epic and relevant even for today's life.... May I share an Interview with Dante Alighieri (imaginary) in http://stenote.blogspot.com/2017/12/an-interview-with-dante.html
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