The Inferno is the first section of Dante's three-part poem, The Divine Comedy. During Dante's epic journey into the depths of Hell he encounters thirty monsters and five hybrid creatures. The most significant of these monsters are of central importance to his journey and the narrative, as they not only challenge Dante's presence in Hell, but are guardians of Hell, keeping order or watching over the "lost people". In this essay I focus on these important animals, namely Minos, Cerberus, Plutus, and Geryon, establishing why they are present in Dante's eschatological vision and discussing the sources that influenced his inclusion of these particular creatures. These four monsters all serve important functions as well as representing important themes in the Inferno, establishing them as symbols that reinforce Dante's allegory. Minos, as the infernal judge and agent of God's justice, represents our conscience and morality. When sinners appear before him "all confess," this causes the reader to reflect on his own sins. His terrifying treatment of souls is significant since, after Charon, he is one of the first figures they encounter in their passage to Hell. , and its unique method of demonstrating which area of ​​Hell the souls should be sent to, heightens the horror and helps create an alarming atmosphere. His warning to Dante is similar to that of many of the infernal guardians, who continually remind him that he should not be in the Otherworld, you who come to the painful hospice, look how you enter and of whom you trust do not be deceived breadth of the introduction (1)However, Cerberus' reaction to Dante is one of evident malice and vice, and instead of commenting on his presence he...... half of the sheet ...... is the warning of Minos to Dante and his unusual illustration of how sinners are judged. The monsters also constitute strategic narrative tools, as their confrontations with Dante and Virgil continue the pattern of incident and movement in the text, adding variety and tension. The beasts form an intrinsic and essential part of the narrative because of the excitement and terror they inspire. add to the journey of Dante and Virgil, as well as strengthening Dante's classification of sin. They also illustrate traditional motifs of visions of the afterlife, while simultaneously expanding and developing previous depictions of the afterlife to form original and exciting creations. This demonstrates the importance Dante placed on the inclusion of these beasts as they not only express the influence of other works on Hell, but also his spectacular creativity and imagination..