Jack
In the film, Jack symbolizes the most disgraceful and reprehensible aspects of humanity. Not only has Jack killed many innocent people, but he feels absolutely no remorse for his crimes, even attempting to justify them.
Hell
Hell is a religious and cultural symbol of punishment, evil, and the darkest parts of human nature. Lars von Trier deliberately chose to set this film in an imagined "Hell" and also uses Dante's Inferno (famously set in Hell) as a meta-text.
Women
For Jack, women symbolize weakness and victimhood. He is presented as a character who harbors a lot of self-hatred, which he then projects onto people around him. Ultimately, Von Trier mocks Jack's viewpoint, showing how easily a negative view of oneself can lead to violence.
The broken bridge
When Verge and Jack reach close to the bottom of Hell, they encounter a broken bridge. Here, they notice a stairway to heaven, and Jack attempts to climb up. However, he falls, which symbolizes his immortality and lack of remorse for his crimes.
Verge
Verge, which is short for "Virgil," is the guide who takes Jack on a tour of hell. Verge essentially symbolizes the viewer, who witnesses Jack's retelling of his crimes and is left with a lot of questions.
