For centuries, many humans have thrived on the idea of ​​eternal salvation, in other words, Heaven. Many religions, including Christianity, use Heaven as an incentive to avoid sin and avidly follow God's law. The idea of ​​eternal salvation could not exist if there was not also the idea of ​​eternal damnation. Because there is a reward for a person's loyalty to God, the reverse must also be true; betraying God by committing sins will result in a soul's eternal suffering in hell. In the Inferno of the Divine Comedy, Dante Alighieri uses symbols to emphasize the dangers of sin. A person's actions are a reflection of the society in which they live. Every day, humans are influenced by several external factors such as music, television and other humans. When a child is born, they are a blank canvas waiting to be painted, and society is the artist. Society evolves in the way a person thinks, which in turn determines the way they act, because all human actions are driven by emotions. During the Middle Ages, Christianity was the predominant religion in Rome. Religion, particularly Christianity, played a crucial role in the governance of medieval society. As a Roman, religion played a major role in Dante Alighieri's life. His strong Christian beliefs influenced his literary work by changing his overall idea of ​​sin, his decisions about who to place in hell, and the corresponding punishment of each sinner (Burge). According to Dante, sin occurs when a person acts against God. Those who are placed in Hell are those who commit acts that offend or betray God. Dante also places Brutus in Hell because as a Roman, Dante loved Caesar and the Roman people despised Brutus for his involvement in the murder of Julius Caesar. Although Brutus does not have a... middle of paper ... equivalent to the satisfaction a human gets when rewarded for avidly following God; eternal salvation. Works CitedBloom, Harold, ed. " "Elements of black humor in Dante's Divine Comedy." " Bloom's literature. Facts about File, Inc. Web. Bloom, Harold, ed. “Hell.” Bloom's literature. Facts about File, Inc. Web.Burge, James. “Dante: reason and religion. » History Today 61.3 (2011): 10-15. Academic research completed. Web. Cevetello, JFX and RJ Bastain. "Purgatory." New Catholic Encyclopedia. 2nd ed. Flight. 11. Detroit: Gale, 2003. 824-829. World history in context. Web."Purgatory, Idea of." The Middle Ages: an encyclopedia for students. Ed. William Chester Jordan. Flight. 4. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1996. 1-2. World history in context. Web.Rudd, Jay. “Hell: Songs 31-34.” Bloom's literature. Facts about File, Inc. Web.