In canto 1, we get to meet Dante and Vergil. In this canto, Dante seems to feel hopeless, lost in life, and has some fear of death. He then encounters the three beasts and is cornered. When he begins to feel helpless, he sees a man and cries out to him. This person turns out to be Virgil, and responds to his cries. Virgil’s words to Dante describe a journey through an eternal place, where “… you will hear the desperate shrieks, you will see the ancient suffering spirits, who all cry out at the second death;”(Canto 1, line 115-117). With this, canto 1 introduces the entire comedy because Virgil talks about the journey through hell, purgatory, and paradise. Even before Virgil’s words, the three beasts can also be seen as an introduction to what may appear in the comedy. For example, the she-beast represents negative desires, and since they will go on a journey through hell, we can expect to see more creatures or things representing the negative side of mankind. Along with this, Virgil describes a happy ending, by saying that he will help Dante meet a woman, who we can assume is Beatrice, after reading Canto 2. 

-Carl Delossantos, Tia Thompson, Alanis Rodriguez

Dante first meets Virgil when lost in “a dark wood” (Canto 1, lines 1-2), and is then surrounded by leopard and a ‘she-wolf’. Dante begins to feel hopeless, until he sees the figure of a man in the forest and cries out “Miserere on me, whatever you may be, whether shade or true man!” (Canto 1, lines 64-66). From there, Virgil declares himself as Dante’s leader, saying “Thus for your good I think and judge that you shall follow me, and I shall be your guide…” (Canto 1, lines 112-113) and promises that he will lead Dante out of the woods so that he may “see the gate of Saint Peter” (Canto 1, lines 133-134). Dante seems to trust Virgili in being able to guide him through the mountain and follow him. As Dante and Virgil are near the entrance of Hell, Dante doubts himself and wonders if he truly is mighty enough to be included in the group. He states, “But I, why come there? Or who grants it? I am not Aeneas, I am not Paul; neither I nor others believe me worthy of that” (Canto 2, lines 31-33). Virgil then informed Dante that he was sent by Beatrice, who said “Now go, with your ornamented speech and whatever else is needed for his escape help him so that I may be consoled” (Canto 2, lines 67-69). Upon hearing about Beatrice, along with Lucia and the Virgin Mary, Dante continues to follow Virgil. 

-Megan McMahon Owens, Jannah Abdelmegid, Jennifer Marte