Dante's Influences Through out the course of literature, various authors utilize their own past experiences and histories to enhance the plot of their works. Anything from their childhood to a random person that they meet on the street can create a spark that will create a character or a thought in a piece of literature. Dante's environment was full of people and events that could have influenced his writings. In the Inferno Dante's perception of hell is heavily influenced by the people in his life both directly and indirectly. The Provencal love-cult, Beatrice, and Boniface VIII most heavily influenced Dante in his writing. The Provenca