Possibly my favorite part of the Inferno is the beginning, just after Dante meets Virgil. The context of the meeting is fascinating - how Virgil has been chosen by Heaven to lead Dante through Hell, even though Virgil himself is one of the ones in Hell, or at least in Limbo. I love the hint of the workings in Heaven. It's not an especially familiar one to a Protestant, with Mary as the primary "intercessor" of sorts, but it has its own sort of comfort, especially when you start to sympathize a little with Dante and his plight.
The system of assistance - Mary and St. Lucia and then Beatrice herself - is wonderfully systematic and I'd love to look into any symbolism or religious meaning that it has behind it. Heavenly systems are always fun, and since it's so vital to Dante's actual story beginning, it has even more weight to it. I especially love the continuation of the symbolism of three: three books, three lines, three beasts, and three heavenly women!
(One question: I haven't read Purgatorio or Paradiso so I don't know how far the comparison goes, but does the setup of the Commedia remind anyone else of A Christmas Carol? Supernatural assistants leading a man through three realms in order to communicate truth... even the realms resemble each other a little, though Dickens's is backwards, if his childhood is more heavenly and youth is more purgatorial and his death is definitely hellish.)
PS I commented on Sydni Holm's blog
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