Ang tula ay nag-uumpisa noong [[Huwebes Santo]] sa taóng 1300. Ang tagapagsalaysay, na si Dante mismo, ay tatlumpu't limang taóng gulang, at kung gayon ay "nangangalahati na sa landas ng búhay" (Ingles: ''"halfway along our life's path"'', Italyano: ''"Nel mezzo del cammin di nostra vita"'') – kalahati ng biblikal na haba ng búhay na pitumpu ([[:en:Psalms|Salmo]] 89:10, Vulgate; Salmo 90:10, KJV). Ang manunula (na si Dante) ay kasalukuyang naliligaw sa isang madilim na kagubatan (''selva oscura'') sa harap ng isang bundok, habang inaatake ng tatlong halimaw (isang [[:en:Lion|leon]], isang ''lonza'' [kadalasang sinasalin bílang "[[:en:Leopard|leopard]]" o "[[:en:Leopon|leopon]]"],<sup>[[:en:Inferno_(Dante)#cite_note-3|[3]]]</sup> at isang [[:en:Gray_wolf|she-wolf]]) na hindi niya matakasan. UnableHindi toniya findmahanap theang "diretsong daan" (''diritta via'', maaari ding isalin na "tamang daan") totungong salvationkaligtasan, hemay iskamalayan conscioussiyang thatsinisira heniya isna ruiningang himselfsarili andniya fallingat intonahuhulog asa isang "deepmalalim placena lugar" (''basso loco'') wherekung saan theang sunaraw isay silenttahimik (''l sol tace'').
DanteSa iswakas atay lastnailigtas rescuedsiya byng themanunulang RomanRomanong poetsi [[:en:Virgil|Virgil]], whona claimsnagsasabing toisinugo havesiya been sent byni [[:en:Beatrice_Portinari|Beatrice]], andat theang twodalawa ofay themtumuloy beginsa theirkanilang journeypaglalakbay totungo thesa [[:en:Underworld|impiyerno (''underworld'')]]. Each sin's punishment in ''Inferno'' is a ''[[:en:Contrapasso|contrapasso]]'', a symbolic instance of [[:en:Poetic_justice|poetic justice]]; for example, [[:en:Fortune-teller|fortune-tellers]] have to walk forward with their heads on backward, unable to see what is ahead, because they tried to see the future through forbidden means. Such a ''contrapasso'' "functions not merely as a form of [[:en:Divine_retribution|divine revenge]], but rather as the fulfilment of a destiny [[:en:Free_will|freely chosen]] by each soul during his or her life."[[:en:Inferno_(Dante)#cite_note-4|[]]
