Conceptions of Hell in Sartre's No Exit and Dante's Inferno

From an initial glance, Sartre's No Exit and Dante's Inferno seem to possess few, if any, similarities in their portrayal of hell. After all, the authors differ on a fundamental level, especially since Sartre believes in existentialism, or the concept that a person can choose his or her own actions but must accept responsibility. But a further analysis of both titles sheds light on potential comparisons and analogous situations and conceptions. While Dante's portrayal of hell includes the punishment fitting for the action or crime, Sartre also punished the hell-bound prisoners based upon their actions.

In Dante's Inferno, the sinners are placed in different circles of hell depending on the severity and type of crime that they committed. The punishment they receive is somewhat ironic because it is related to their sin. For example, in the third circle of hell, the gluttonous must lie in mud and suffer rain of filth and excrement. Their excessive behavior is punished by enduring the nasty results of their indulgence in food. The constant rain of excrement almost serves as a reminder of their errors and sins. Meanwhile, flatterers must lie in a river of human feces. This punishment is certainly indicative of their actions because they praise and compliment others for personal gain. Furthermore, thieves are forced to live in a pit of vipers. When they are bitten, they turn into a viper. In the living world, they attempt to steal from others. Therefore, their punishment is basically to steal from other thieves.

This punishment defined by the sin is still noticeable in Sartre's No Exit, despite certain fundamental differences. Garcin was shot while attempting to desert the army. He is tortured by Inez and Estelle because he does not want to be perceived as a coward. When he questions Estelle's judgment of him, Estelle shows no interest. Instead, she only wants a man's presence and touch. When Garcin tries to leave the room, Inez calls him a coward. Because he cares a great deal about how others perceive him, he is unable to leave until he changes Inez's perception of him. She resolves to torture him for the rest of his stay in hell, which is obviously forever. Furthermore, Inez herself is tortured because she is unable to attain Estelle's love and companionship to satisfy her homosexual tendencies. Estelle's rejection of her tortures her greatly. This is ironic because she stole her cousin's wife; as punishment, she is unable to experience another woman's love and touch. Finally, Estelle is a person who places a great deal of emphasis on her own personal appearance and desire for a man. Garcin's rejection of her serves as the source of her suffering.