Contributed by Kavi Montanaro
Occupy New Haven
Contributed by Aisha Woodward (Bowdoin, ’08)
Comcast Rant
“Though I haven’t read Dante’s Inferno in its entirety, I have read enough excerpts over the years to realize that back in 1300, I’m pretty positive that Dante was extremely forward-thinking. In describing his descent into hell, he was obviously creating an allegorical representation of what it’s like to call Comcast customer service with a simple billing question on an innocent enough summer Wednesday in 2011. Lasciate ogne speranza, voi ch’intrate, the gates of hell read as Dante enters. ‘Abandon all hope, all ye who enter here.'” […] –Sheena Moore, Spend Matters, July 22, 2011
Lee K. Abbott, “One of Star Wars, One of Doom” (2007)
“The story follows Mr. DeWine, a high school civics teacher looking for the love that will bring meaning to his middle years, and the two alienated students who plot death, havoc, and woe.” —Fantastic Fiction
“The first reference is to the two high school boys who shoot up the school as ‘founding members of the ninth circle.’ (Abbott) The second reference is made by Mr. DeWine as he notes a student’s inscription on a desk in his classroom, ”Abandon all hope,’ someone has scribbled. Dante-what a bozo. Blame the whole fiasco on Beatrice.’ (Abbott) This reference foreshadows the outcome of the story. –Katie Tiller
Contributed by Katie Tiller (University of Texas at Austin)
Supernatural on the CW
In a 2010 episode of the TV show Supernatural, the alpha vampire makes a reference to Dante citing the very real location of Purgatory. The vampire says that the King of Hell is looking for this place because it is where the souls of vampires, and other creatures, go when they die; and he is also interested in it because of its proximity to heaven. –Taylor Beaver
See the article by Sandra Gonzalez in Entertainment Weekly, November 6, 2010
Contributed by Taylor Beaver (University of Texas at Austin, ’11)
Season 5, Episode 10 of Supernatural, is titled “Abandon All Hope. . .” and aired in 2009.
Contributed by Stella Mattioli, University of Virginia, ’15
