on the night of good friday in the year of 1300, Dante Alighieri finds himself in a dark wood. he sees a mountain covered with the suns light and tries to climb it, but he is stopped by three beasts: a she-wolf, a lion, and a leopard. he is forced to return to the forest where he meets the spirit of virgil, who promises to lead dante through hell so that he may be able to enter paradise. Dante agrees and follows virgil into the gates of hell. This begins story of the divine comedy. dante and his guide virgil together must make their perilous journey through hell.