A Dark Ride through the Inferno

           Due to the enormous impact that the Inferno and the other parts of The Divine Comedy have had on the progress of Western literature, it is very difficult and even unspeakable to consider these works as anything but objects deserving of great literary reverence. Thus, there is an almost forbidden-ness associated with taking these great “divine” works out of context. However, as if tempted by a forbidden fruit, I felt compelled to do the unthinkable and commit literary sacrilege by removing the Inferno as far as possible from its iconic literary status while retaining a certain essence. If one strips Dante’s Inferno of its golden literary vestment, what remains, in simple terms, is the archetype of a trip and a sense of fear associated with that trip. This reduced archetype served as a kernel from which I was able to draw a somewhat oblique connection to dark rides typically found in amusement parks.

The act of undressing the Inferno to the point of associating it with an amusement park ride has the positive effect of humbling the great work and bringing it to ground level where it is possible to literally physically interact with the themes of the poem. Also, in an almost self-referential manner, the humbling of the work even brings it closer to the state of its own main character, Dante. This is because Dante consistently makes himself appear humble in the presence of Virgil and in his inability to traverse the terrifying landscape of hell by himself. Hence, in actuality, my association does not do too much injustice to the work.

Having boldly compared the great Inferno to an amusement park ride, I was left in the precarious position of envisioning a real amusement park ride based on the theme of the Inferno. Fortunately, I did not have to personally do this laborious transition from conception to actuality since a few dark rides based on the Inferno had already existed. There are two well-known rides of this kind. One called “Dante’s Inferno” is in Coney Island and the other called “Dante’s Dungeon” in Morey’s Pier, New Jersey. Unfortunately, although these rides bear semblance to Dante’s work in name and general premise, the parallels are more indirect than direct.

The minor direct connections that do exist are apparent in the props that resemble recognizable creatures mentioned in the poem. For example, there are the figures of three-headed Cerberus, the wolf-like Plutus, Medusa, and the Devil. However, under the surface and less apparent, there is the symbolism of the ride as journey with a predetermined one-way track. In the Inferno, Dante is on a similar kind of journey in that it is divinely predestined. Also his journey has a one-way quality since it constantly progresses in a forward direction even though Dante is sometimes hesitant and frightened by demons. Secondly, the rides evoke fear due the strange noises and a persistent darkness that is only intermittently cut by brief flashes of strobe lights. Similarly, the frightful landscape of the Inferno resonates with the moans of tormented souls and is blanketed in a thick darkness. Lastly, there is a contradictory undertone associated with the rides. This is because the rides are meant to elicit fear; however, this fear is juxtaposed with a light sense of enjoyment since the rides are located in an amusement park setting. Likewise, Dante’s is conflicted with the opposing feelings fear and pity.

Wiki Articles about the Rides: here and here

A Youtube Video Showing a Ride: here