This book offers a comprehensive analysis of the influences of classical literature and the Bible on the work of the Italian poet Dante Alighieri. With in-depth discussions of specific passages from the 'Divine Comedy', this book sheds new light on Dante's use of sources and his contribution to the Western literary canon. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.