Inferno
An opera in three short acts

Synopsis
by Allison Ryan

Act II.
Scene One: The Inscription on the Gate of Hell
Scene Two: Dante's journey through the first Circle of Hell, Dante meets Minos
Scene Three: The Lustful Sinners. Dante's encounter with Francesca and Paolo

Act III.
Scene One: The Downward Spiral through Hell with a chorus of sinners
Scene Two: The arrival into Cocytus, center of the Underworld
Scene Three: Dis (Satan)

Act One:
Surrounded by a procession of lost souls, Dante the Pilgrim wakes to find himself in a dark wood, having strayed from the True way. He finds a hill bathed in light, but as he tries to climb it, three of Hell's beasts block and discourage him, filling him with fear. It is then that Virgil, the great poet, dead and in Limbo, reveals himself to Dante as his geographical and spiritual guide through the underworld. Riddled with apprehension and cowardice, Dante is reluctant to accept his divine assignment, but Virgil reassures the Pilgrim and discloses to him that the beautiful spirit Beatrice urges him to journey, as well. Dante and his guide embark on their disquieting passage.

Act Two:
Upon entering the first circle, Dante notices the inscription written on the Gate of Hell, marking the entry way to the city of sorrow and eternal pain, the cries of damned souls echoing from inside. The Pilgrim then narrates his descent through the first circles-the fierce terrain, harrowing voices and sounds, the sights of sheer pain all beckon him to weep. He meets Minos, the judge of all damned souls, snarling and grotesque, and he finds himself in a place where all light is lost. Here he is among the Lustful, and he asks to speak with the famous and lustful lovers Francesca and Paolo, two souls that move along together side by side, condemned to Hell's misery for their infidelity. Francesca willingly tells Dante and Virgil about the love she found with Paolo-her husband's brother-and how it led them to one death. Dante, overwhelmed with pity for the lovers, faints to Hell's floor.

Act Three:
Virgil and Dante continue their journey and encounter many souls and sinners, both irate and sorrowful. The Pilgrim fixes his eyes upon a particular group, the Diviners, voiceless yet weeping, who are grossly distorted, for their faces are reversed on their necks, and the canyon through which they wander is soaked with their tears. Dante, again overcome with compassion, weeps, and Virgil condemns him severely for his pity, reminding him that there are none more impious than those who sorrow at divine judgment. Dante, shameful, wishes for Virgil's pardon, which he is granted, yet still wonders at the blood and wounds shown to him, and he is filled with grief. They then travel a downward spiral through Hell, passing countless sinners including the Suicides, Gluttons, the Violent, and the Falsifiers, until they reach the icy, silent land of Cocytus, the center of the underworld, where he can confront Satan himself, as well as his own consciousness.

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