What's the main message of the book? Who was the audience? What is the impact of the context of the times on the message of the book, and how does...

One of
Dante's messages is his belief that various types of sin will have different consequ3encesz in
the afterlife.  Of course, the religious control of almost all aspects of life during Dante's
lifetime certainly played a part in his choosing his message.  However, The Inferno
also allowed Dante to express personally what he felt were the worst sins and even
more specifically whom he found to be the most egregious sinners from the
past.