Dante's Inferno generally uses the same characters as in the original poem, and the only truly new character is Beatrice's brother, Francesco Portinari. However, many of them are greatly reinterpretedâ"for example, Cleopatra is now the guardian demon of the second circle, rather than a regular damned soul. Most importantly, though, Dante is reinterpreted as a veteran of the Third Crusade, and Beatrice, a mere crush of his in real life, is depicted as his fiance. Dante is in pursuit of his beloved Beatrice. He boldly tries to free her soul from Lucifer, who needs the soul of an innocent in order to escape from the depths of Hell. Lucifer tries to use the soul of Beatrice to escape Hell, and take over the Throne of God. Dante's journey takes him past many monstrous creatures within the Nine Circles of Hell. Dante must confront his sins, along with his family's past and his numerous war crimes, in order to save Beatrice. Copyright Disclaimer: Under Section 107 of the Copyright! Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use.