How many circles of Hell does Dante traverse in his journey?

Dante traverses nine circles of Hell in his journey through the afterlife. Each circle represents a different sin and the corresponding punishment that fits the nature of that sin, adhering to the principle of contrapasso, which dictates that the punishment reflects the sin's severity.

The structure of Hell in Dante's Inferno is organized to illustrate the moral order of the universe, where the severity of punishment increases as one descends deeper into Hell. The first circle is for the unbaptized and virtuous pagans, and as Dante moves through the subsequent circles, he encounters those guilty of increasingly serious sins such as lust, gluttony, greed, heresy, violence, fraud, and treachery.

This nine-circle framework serves not only to categorize the various sins but also to highlight Dante's views on morality, justice, and the human condition. Thus, the correct answer reflects the intricately designed journey through Hell that Dante describes in his epic poem.