Kingdom of the Cursed

By opening with a quote from Dante Alighieri’s 14th-century epic poem Inferno, Kingdom of the Cursed positions itself within a long literary tradition of journeys into the underworld. Dante’s text is probably the most well-known and influential depiction of hell in Western literature and, by opening with a quote from it, Maniscalco makes its significance to her own work explicit, as well as providing a counterpoint for her novel’s differences.

The opening quote is taken from the speech of Charon, ferryman of the dead, as he prepares to take the souls of the dead to hell, along with Dante himself who has traveled to hell as an observer through divine intervention. These words act in both works to mark the crossing of a boundary, hinting at the trials and dangers which will follow. By placing Charon’s words before Emilia enters Hell in the novel, Maniscalco both foreshadows Emilia’s journey and mirrors Dante’s creation of narrative tension and suspense.

Maniscalco also draws on Dante’s use of a protagonist who is a soul passing through hell as an observer. As he progresses through hell, Dante see souls punished in a manner that reflects their earthly sins, a concept known as contrapasso (meaning “to suffer the opposite”). For instance, the gluttonous are tortured by starvation in hell, offered food and drink which remains just outside their reach. This version of hell is a place of eternal, divine justice based on the dark irony of a parallel punishment. Through vivid sensory descriptions of hell’s terrors, Dante’s work has a didactic purpose, urging its audience to consider the consequences of sinful lives. In contrast to this, Kingdom of the Cursed shows its Hell’s occupants indulging in the sins to which they are affiliated. The novel replaces Dante’s disturbing admonitory imagery with titillating descriptions of taboo pleasures and behaviors. Maniscalco’s transformation shifts the narrative focus from a belief in divine punishment to courtly intrigue, power struggles, and diplomacy. By modernizing Dante’s depiction of hell’s occupants, Maniscalco changes them from victims into a citizens who have agency, ambition, and the ability to navigate a complex social and political hierarchy.

Just as Dante is accompanied by the Classical Roman poet Virgil, who acts as protector and interpreter for him on his journey, Emilia is guided by the ambiguous figure of Wrath, who meets her at the gate. Again, although referencing Dante’s tradition, Maniscalco deploys this device for new narrative ends. Wrath, as one of the major figures in Hell’s society, is able to teach and guide Emilia but his role also contains latent uncertainty and threat, including sexual danger. The strong elements of sexual tension and power plays in the novel are enabled by adapting this traditional element of Dante’s hell narrative into the erotic fantasy-romance structure.