At the start of the dialogue, characters Diotime and Élie stroll along the rugged Brittany coast, reflecting on their thoughts and ideas. Diotime unexpectedly reveals her fascination with Dante, likening the wild coastal scenery to the infernal imagery found in his work. Their conversation unfolds into a comparison between the two poets, emphasizing how Dante's religious and philosophical undertones resonate with Goethe's ideas about existence and the human condition. Diotime contends that, despite their temporal and cultural differences, both poets address the fundamental questions of life, love, and the divine, setting the stage for a rich discussion on the semblance and nuances between their works. (This is an automatically generated summary.)