Dante Alighieri (1265-1321) was an Italian poet of the Middle Ages. The Divine Comedy, of which Inferno is part, is considered the greatest literary work in the Italian language and a masterpiece. The Inferno is the story of the journey of Dante, the pilgrim, from the dark forest of error through Hell, guided by Virgil. This is Dante's opportunity for the pilgrims to acknowledge his sins; he is given the opportunity to see how his mistake will be punished if he does not change. In Dante's Inferno, the punishment of sin is reflected in the nature of sin. There are many general themes in this work, but three specific themes are represented in the “Standing” passage; let your drive change your life, carpe diem and overcome all obstacles in your way. The first reference to the general theme in the “Standing” passage is to the general theme to be overcome. When Dante is overwhelmed, Virgil tells him: “'Stand up! This is no time to get tired!' - shouted my master. 'The sleeping man shall never wake fame, and his desire…' (Lines 46-48) Through this Virgil i...