"Through me you pass into the city of woe:
Through me you pass into eternal pain:
Through me among the people lost for aye.
Justice the founder of my fabric moved:
To rear me was the task of power divine,
Supremest Wisdom, and primeval Love.
Before me things create were none, save things
Eternal, and eternal I endure.
All hope abandon, ye who enter here."

This foreboding inscription marks the entrance to Dante's Inferno, setting the tone for the journey through Hell. Each line not only cautions the traveler about the path ahead but also signifies the absolute nature of the domain governed by divine justice, wisdom, and love. The emphasis on these eternal qualities underscores the inescapable reality of the punishments that await within. By commanding entrants to "abandon all hope," the inscription highlights the finality and severity of Hell's torments. This warning serves as a psychological boundary, preparing Dante—and the reader—for the harrowing experiences to come. It poignantly illustrates the gravity of sin and the unyielding nature of divine retribution, reinforcing the solemnity of the spiritual journey Dante is about to undertake.