Dante's Inferno, is an allegorical poem telling the story of Dante's journey through hell, led by Virgil the Roman poet. In the poem, Hell is depicted as nine circles of suffering located within the center of Earth. The arrangement of the poem takes the reader step by step through greater and greater sins. The content of the book shows the different punishments for sins, which are symbolic of the sins themselves. The sins committed have a direct connection to the severity of the punishment and the punishment itself. Dante is forced to battle his own sin, as well as the sins of those in Hell. The Inferno envelops the familiar conflict of good and evil or heaven and hell. Dante's use of allegory is demonstrated in the use of symbolic punishments. .
Throughout the Inferno, Dante explores allegory in the punishments enforced upon the sinners is followed through out all nine circles of hell. Dante ensured that each punishment symbolized the sin that had been committed. Those having lived a life of perversion due to their own choices played an unavoidable role in some aspect of their punishment in Hell. Dante's depiction of Bertran de Born, is punished as a sower of schism, states directly, "In me you see the perfect contrapasso!" Contrapasso refers to the punishment of soles or more specifically, Masterpieces of Philosophical Literature explains the process of punishment as, "either resembling or contrasting with sin itself" (64). Contrapasso in regard to Dante's Inferno, has two meanings. Initially, contrapasso refers to divine retribution for the sin. This is evident, as Born is being punished in Hell for the sins that he committed on earth. The second meaning of contrapasso comes from the literal translation of the word, meaning a "step against." The Divine Comedy signifies Dante's journey through Hell and Purgatory to gain salvation into Heaven. Therefore, the "step against" also refers to steps taken backward in the journey to salvation.
