How is The Divine Comedy divided into Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso?

Dante Alighieri’s The Divine Comedy is structured around the symbolic importance of the number three, reflecting a deep commitment to theological and structural symmetry. The poem is divided into three major sections, or canticles: Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso.12

The work consists of 100 cantos in total, distributed as follows:
* Each of the three canticles contains 33 cantos.12
* An additional introductory canto is included in the Inferno, bringing the total to 100.132

This tripartite structure is further reinforced by the poem's rhyme scheme, known as terza rima, which organizes the verses into stanzas of three lines, or tercets. Through this journey, the protagonist moves from the depths of Hell to the spiritual rehabilitation of Purgatory and finally to the beatitude of Heaven.1245