The Divine Comedy is a classic poem of Italian and world literature, characterized by its epic and theological elements. Written by Dante Alighieri in the 14th century during the Renaissance, it is divided into three parts: Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. The work consists of one hundred cantos, featuring Dante himself accompanied by the Roman poet Virgil, as they embark on a spiritual journey through the three realms of the afterlife. Inferno is depicted in 34 cantos, each containing around 140 verses. Virgil, the great Roman poet and author of the Aeneid, appears to guide Dante through Hell and Purgatory on his way to Paradise. Before meeting Virgil, Dante finds himself lost in a dark forest.