I saw this post and thought it was interesting considering the thread that has been floating around on here about the sopranos !

Some sent this to me to explain the symbolism behind it.


Tony is in purgatory.

He was literally in the "Hotel California"
He was without an identity and unable to leave.
The hotel he can check into was the "Omni"…meaning ALL.
While he is stuck in that hotel, on one end of town is a shining beacon (Heaven), on the other, a raging forest fire (Hell).

Now let's dig WAAAY deeper into symbolism:
He is also apparently in the military contractor
business, so it can be argued that he's still involved with death and murder. Also, he is still capable of cheating on his wife. I think the writers are showing the point that in the end, sin is sin, and once you get to the end it doesn't matter if you make your decisions in a boardroom or the back of a stripclub. I guess it's some social commentary.

In Dante Inferno, it is said there are 7 layers or
circles of Hell that Dante traveled through to get to
paradise.

Tony was placed on the 7th floor(or circle)… the
circle for those who are violent

He's sinking further and further into the depths.
Trying to get back by taking the stairs and leaving
the 7th floor (circle, soul)

He fell down the stairs between the 5th and 4th floor.
The 5th circle is wrath and 4th is greed

Also, if you recall the first episode opened with
William Burroughs spoken word recording "Seven Souls"
From the Seven Souls…Number five is Ka, the Double, most closely associated with the subject.

The 1st circle is limbo and from there he can escape, when he stop acepting his fate and fights back and finds his breifcase.

His double who took his breifcase, or as Tony out it "My whole LIFE is in there"
That guy's name was Kevin Finnerty, to which the man at the bar jokes "Kev-Infinity"

By the way Kevin Finnerty is a heating salesman from the hottest state, Arizona. No need to go further there. Arizona is also on the Driver's License as AZ or a-z, the beginning to the end.

Dante's divine comedy is divided into three parts,
corresponding with Dante's three journeys: Inferno, or "Hell"; Purgatorio, or "Purgatory"; and Paradiso, or "Paradise."

Consider that Tony is now in the second of the three journeys — his life on earth has been Dante's hell and all it is comprised of (the seven circles of hell:
Circle One, Those in limbo; Circle Two - The lustful; Circle Three, The gluttonous; Circle Four - The hoarders; Circle Five - The wrathful; Circle Six - The heretics Circle Seven - The violent), he is now in purgatory, and is making his final journey to Paradiso.

On Easter Sunday, Dante emerges from Hell. Through his travels, he has found his way to God and is able, once more, to look upon the stars.
Perhaps this is Tony's path.