In Canto I, Dante has strayed from the True Way into the Dark Wood of Error. He opens his eyes and sees the mount Mount of Joy which is lit up by the sun. He sets out to try to climb the mountain, but his way is blocked by the Three Beasts of Worldliness: The Leopard of Malice and Fraud, The Lion of Violence and Ambition, and The She-Wolf of Incontinence. He then starts to lose all hope when Virgil, Dante's symbol of Human Reason appears. Dante is very frightened and nervous by Virgil's presence as you can tell by his response towards Virgil saying "Have pity on me, whatever thing you are, whether shade or living man" (Dantes Inferno pg. 30). Dante doesn't know who or what Virgil is and is really scared of him. Virgil then explains to Dante why he is here and reassures him not to be frightened. Virgil tells Dante he has been sent to lead dante from error. Virgil then lets Dante know that they have to go through hell to get out because the three beasts that guard the Mount of Joy. Virgil offers to guide Dante through the depths of hell tells dante that he can only take him so far then he will turn Dante over to another guide, Beatrice, the symbol of Divine Love because human reason is self limited. Dante agrees to have Virgil be his guide and then they set off.
Dante is here because he went astray from the straight road of life and ended up in some evil dark woods. He sees the road going to the Mount of Joy that is lit up by the sun and sets off to go climb the mountain. Everywhere he goes, the spotted Leopard stands blocking his every turn. Then he sees the Lion raging with hunger with its enormous head held high in the air to strike fear into anyone that comes close. Then he sees the She-Wolf driving upon him raveging around.
The reason Dante is going into hell is because now that he is in the woods, he cannot climb the Mount of joy because the Three Beasts are blocking him. No one can make a direct ascent past the...