The vision of hell. By Dante Alighieri. Translated by Rev. Henry Francis Cary, M.A. and illustrated with the seventy-five designs of Gustave Doré.

In the opening of this timeless epic, a lone traveler finds himself trapped in a dense, midnight forest, having strayed from the straight road of life. The shadowy woods are alive with menace: a sleek panther, a ravenous lion, and a gaunt she‑wolf each block his path, embodying the anxieties and temptations that beset the human soul. Overwhelmed by fear, he cries out for aid, his desperation echoing through the silent darkness.

His plea summons a seasoned poet from antiquity, whose voice carries the weight of countless verses. The guide offers a way out—not through the forest, but by descending beneath the earth, where a vast realm of punishment awaits the damned. Together they begin a journey that promises to explore the nature of sin, justice, and redemption, setting the stage for a profound pilgrimage through realms beyond mortal sight.