How can one know what things will be after death? This question has been asked in many different ways, but it is always the same essential curiosity that drives man to form a religion, to form ideas of higher powers or things beyond the capacity of human existence. There are theories upon theories upon theories that have formed philosophies and religions all based on human curiosity about this one topic: the afterlife. Some have even chosen to deny its existence. However, there are two explanations that have taken root in the world: the vivid and terrifying afterlives created by Dante Alighieri and the deeper, non-physical world that Catholics believe they will one day enter. The teachings of the Catholic Church and the descriptions in the Divine Comedy differ greatly in the images they provide of hell, purgatory, and heaven. The first part of the Divine Comedy is the Inferno, which is a very different representation of hell than Hell. that offered by the Church. One of the biggest differences between the two is the issue of physical structure. Throughout Dante's writings he talks about walking into hell, when he says things like: “My Guide kept to the left and I followed him. Then we moved forward” (Alighieri, Ciardi 142). However, the Church does not consider such actions possible. Rather, it describes hell as a state of being, in which souls are absent from their physical bodies (“Catholic Doctrine on Hell”). However, whether they believe it or not, they both believe in a sort of “limbo” for souls who could not have known Christ. Dante describes limbo as the home of virtuous pagans, people who did not accept God, yet did not sin (Alighieri, Ciardi). The ch...... in the center of the sheet ......"For further information on Paradise"). Although the opinions of the Church and Dante differ on their depictions of the nature of hell, purgatory, and heaven, they both agree on the existence of an afterlife. While many people choose to deny the existence of an afterlife in favor of a consequence-free lifestyle where they decide what is right or wrong for themselves, both Dante Alighieri and Catholics believe that their actions are not free from consequences and that they will. be held responsible for them at the end of their lives. They are willing to accept that they are sinners, but that there is hope in acknowledging their faults. By realizing that you are not guilt-free for your actions, you can strive to perform actions that are guilt-free. Once he is able to do this, he is able to control his destiny, whether it be fire, forgiveness, or loyalty.