Due to the Commedia 's complexity, over the years it has been studied and restudied mainly as there are so many aspects that rouse interest and curiosity whether it be the genre, the language, the content or the style. Once one has read the Commedia it becomes apparent that the Commedia is fundamentally inter-textual, not that Dante has plagiarized other works but it is obvious that there were influences that he drew from quite heavy. Dante believed he had been empowered by God to write the Commedia thus he gave a conscious effort to stylise the Commedia to the Bible, furthermore, he greatly admired the classical poets such as Virgil and one can note immediately that Dante's idea of his epic journey was shaped from that of Virgil's in the "Aenied-.
The biblical content of this epic journey is highly potent, every canto of the inferno carries a range of diverse characters each with a function specific to the canto. Dante selects these characters from a variety of backgrounds ranging from Classical literature, mythology, historical figures and people from his own lifetime. Particular attention should be paid to his encounters with other characters as like God expressed himself through humans in the bible Dante the poet is expressing himself through the encounters between Dante the protagonist and other characters. .
I feel it necessary and important to first discuss Dante's use of the classical poet Virgil within the Commedia as his multiple functions illustrate a variety of mental attitudes and views of Dante the poet. .
Dante gives much reverence to these classical poets, they are placed in the first circle of hell and Canto IV of inferno is dedicated to them. One may view this as a contradiction in terms for example; Surely Dante could not have admired them so greatly to have placed them in hell however Dante (poet and protagonist) treats the classical poets as privileged and authorial characters, Contropasso in the Commedia is a concept based on the punishment fits the crime, the contropasso belonging to Canto IV of inferno includes mental anguish but an absence of physical torment.
