“Lots of the figures in hell feel they are going to be stuck there forever.

The descent is sort of a controlled breakdown.

The way out of the inferno... is crawling onto the body of Lucifer. And when they've done that, Virgil and Dante realize they've begun the ascent that they've begun the journey up mount purgatory.

Dante realizes it's by going into the darkness, bringing your mind, bringing your understanding, bringing your desire, and the light of God even into the darkest place, that the turnaround happens."