University of Makati

J.P. Rizal Ext. West Rembo, Makati City, 1215

College of Education

Name: Nieva, Angel Ann T. Course: II-BSED English

Topic: “The Divine Comedy” and “The Book of the Dead” Name of Activity: Individual Task

“Open the tomb and let us enter the darkness and lightness of death with La Divina Commedia

and The Book of The Dead.”

The Divine Comedy, with its Italian name La Divina Commedia, and the original name

La Commedia, was the long narrative poem of Dante Alighieri, an Italian poet, prose writer,

literary theorist, moral philosopher, and political thinker (Dante Alighieri | Biography, Poems, &

Facts, 1999). The poem depicts Dante's journey from the perspective of death after life from

falsehood and darkness to the manifestation of divine light, which results in the Beatific Vision

of God (The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica, 1998). Thus, this book is divided into three

cantos: Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. On the other hand, Ancient Egyptian spell books or

magic formulas known as the Book of the Dead were buried with the dead in the tomb and

believed to help and protect them in the afterlife (The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica,

2023b). Thus, the Egyptians believed that the Book of the Dead is the “Book of Coming Forth by

Day.” It contains all the information for the Egyptian to be prepared for their afterlife hence,

guiding them toward their spiritual journey. These two books are honored as two of the greatest

books of literature with the knowledge, lessons, and journey they imparted to people all over the

world.
 The Divine Comedy might contain intriguing controversies, but it is absolute that it

perplexes our mind to believe the information in the afterlife written in the masterpiece. When I

first read its summary, I could not believe how Dante’s mind generated those scenes, symbols,

and everything between the lines because it is convincing. Hence, the poem also depicts the

culture of the medieval period: their political system and religion. During Dante’s century, the

political system was manipulated by the papacy (Papacy | Definition, History, List of Popes, &

Facts, 2023), therefore, there is no separation of state and church, contrary to the present

situation between politics and church.

Furthermore, as the Divine Comedy is divided into three canticles: Inferno, Purgatorio,

and Paradiso, it emphasizes that the journey of Dante to the kingdom of the afterlife to save his

soul circled Hell, Purgatory, and Heaven, hence his journey ended with him attainting his soul

again and he came back to earth (Dante: The Divine Comedy, 2022). Thus, it personally marked

to me his journey on Inferno, in which he described the punishment in the Nine Circles of Hell:

Limbo, Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Anger, Heresy, Violence, Fraud, and Treachery (Dante: The

Divine Comedy, 2022). All of these are much visible in our society today; hence the world is a

hell that is the residence of the living. Furthermore, it tickles my curiosity if people in this world

would still suffer in the land of Inferno if they already committed each sin and suffered and

experienced the worst punishment called life.

On the other hand, the Book of the Dead of the Egyptians amazes me as a Christian as to

how Egyptians perceive the importance of life and the afterlife- the book contains all the spells,
incantations, and preparation for their successful journey in the afterlife ((What Is a Book of the

Dead?, 2010): it contains the spells written on papyrus in a hieroglyphic script and illustrations

that can also be the direction to perform the incantation properly; Egyptians believed that those

spells have the power be able to control their body in the afterlife and even in the trials and

challenges in their journey they will surpass it if they are prepared enough.

The information about the Book of the Dead led me to look after Egyptian culture, and I

found out that the afterlife is important to them; they believed that when they die, they would

still be able to live life in the afterlife with their spiritual body (Preparation for Death in Ancient

Egypt, 2020)- far more different from the Christian tradition and culture we believed that life

ends in death. Thus, it appealed to me their concept of the afterlife and made me wonder if this

may happen in the afterlife, hence if they, Egyptians, will only have the access to such an

opportunity to live even after death.

Both works of literature depict the possible scenario of life after death, however, it has

different scenarios, punishments, journey, metaphors, symbols, and beliefs, they still enrich both

cultures of Egyptians and Christians; as I understood the concept of these two great books, it

made me wonder what beliefs I should believe in: the Divine Comedy is the definition of a tragic

afterlife wherein sufferings and punishments are inevitable to wash away the sins of an

individual however it is terrifying that those punishments are beyond and is reflecting the doings

of the people in their lifetime; on the other hand, I do have a part of my soul that wants to

experience and believe the beliefs of the Egyptians. What would it be like to anticipate that there

is still hope in the afterlife hence, protected by the spells and incantation to surpass each trial?
 Collectively, these two great books, The Divine Comedy and The Book of the Dead are

two of the most important and influential books in the world that made changes in the world of

literature, hence the lives of the people. Both of these books made us believe that there is still

life, journey, and trials even in a narrow, dark, and cold tomb.
References:

Dante Alighieri | Biography, Poems, & Facts. (1999, July 26). Encyclopedia Britannica.

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Dante-Alighieri/Dantes-intellectual-development-

and-public-career

Dante: The Divine Comedy. (2022, May 12). Museo Casa Di Dante, Firenze.

https://www.museocasadidante.it/en/dante-alighieri/the-divine-comedy/#:~:text=The%20

Divine%20Comedy%20is%20divided,up%20of%20one%2Dhundred%20cantos.

Papacy | Definition, History, List of Popes, & Facts. (2023, March 12). Encyclopedia Britannica.

https://www.britannica.com/topic/papacy/The-medieval-papacy

Preparation for death in ancient Egypt. (2020, September 09). The Australian Museum.

https://australian.museum/learn/cultures/international-collection/ancient-egyptian/prepara

tion-for-death-in-ancient-egypt/#:~:text=The%20ancient%20Egyptians%20believed%20t

hat,before%20they%20were%20granted%20access.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. (1998, July 20). The Divine Comedy | Dante, Poem,

Summary, & Facts. Encyclopedia Britannica.

https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Divine-Comedy

What is a Book of the Dead? (2010, September 22). The British Museum.

https://www.britishmuseum.org/blog/what-book-dead