Blake did not view himself as a mere illustrator; he intended his work to be a "correction" of Dante's poem. While he admired Dante's poetic genius, he fundamentally disagreed with several orthodox Catholic tenets present in the text: William Blake and The Divine Comedy - Digital Dante

: Unlike traditional literal renderings, Blake depicted Dante and Virgil as luminous, near-transparent figures to emphasize their spiritual over historical nature.

: He often added non-textual elements, such as briars at Dante’s feet to represent material world entrapment or specific foot positions to symbolize the material versus the spiritual. A "Correction" of Dante

Though Blake intended to engrave the entire series, he died in 1827 with only seven plates partially completed. Despite their unfinished state, the works are celebrated for their: