At the beginning of Inferno, Dante is lost in a dark wood, being chased by three beasts. They thwart all attempts to get away. There is no escape. Virgil appears to Dante, and tells him there is one way out—but he’s going to have to go through Hell to get there.

Reading Dante can often feel like traversing Hell, and many who attempt this epic work wonder why they should read it at all.

Join CiRCE Master Teachers Matthew Bianco and Kristen Rudd as they discuss whether The Divine Comedy is worth reading (spoiler: it is) and how to approach this particular poem. The only way out? Is through.