The Inferno
Canto I
Characters
Dante- 35 yrs. old (i.e.- must take place in 1300); mortal; pilgrim;
trying to get to top of hill; unsure how he woke in such a place
Virgil- ancient Greek poet; Dante’s guide through Hell; immortal;
Dante’s artistic hero
Symbolism
Sun= divine illumination
Little hill= Mount of Joy (heaven)
Leopard= Malice & Fraud (lower hell)
Lion= Violence & Ambition (middle hell)
She-Wolf= Incontinence (upper hell)
Dark Wood of Error= worldliness
Timing= Easter morning; i.e.- Dante’s spiritual rebirth
Beatrice= Divine love
Virgil= Human Reason
Journey= steps in Catholic achievement of grace: Recognition of sin
(descent through hell), Renunciation of sin (ascent through purgatory), and
Light of god/Divine glory (pinnacle of joy/heaven); Humanity could not hope to
vanquish malice, fraud, violence, ambition, and incontinence without divine help;
in order to be able to win the battles, Dante must take a more arduous journey ending
in salvation
Conflicts
Man vs. Self: Dante’s spiritual struggle
Man vs. Nature: Dante’s physical struggle with lion, leopard, and she-wolf
The Inferno
Canto II
Characters
Virgil- guide, poet, hero
Dante-weak, spiritually lost, self-doubting human
Symbolism
Beatrice’s plan to have Virgil lead Dante to her= humanity cannot reach
Divine Love unaided, but must be guided by Reason
Virgin Mary= Compassion
Saint Lucia= Divine Light
Rachel= Contemplative Life
Conflicts
Man vs. Self: Dante’s self doubt
The Inferno
Canto III
Characters
Dante- pilgrim
Virgil- guide
Charon- ferryman across the river Acheron (first/outermost river in hell)
Angels- angels who didn’t take sides in the battle between God and Satan
Opportunists- people who never established loyalties, but merely shifted their
allegiance to whatever was best for them at the time
Pope Celestine V- Pope convinced by an advisor that his soul was in jeopardy;
he gave up the papacy to work on his soul, and his successor corrupted the Church
Symbolism
Punishment= Opportunists never aligned themselves with anyone, so even in hell,
they do not have a place (vestibule); they shifted their allegiance, so they chase an
elusive banner that continually changes its course; they move in darkness because
their sin was darkness
Wasps & hornets= guilty conscience
Worms & maggots= moral filth fed by the souls
Sinners’ attitude= sinners seem excited about crossing into Hell
because Dante felt that sin was a choice, and these sinners chose to sin, chose
to deny Christ or God, and therefore chose to go to hell
Swoon= Dante is still sympathetic to the sinners
Conflicts
Man vs. Society: sinners’ sins against humanity
Man vs. Self: Dante’s losing battle with empathy
Man vs. Supernatural: Dante’s struggle with Charon
The Inferno
Canto IV
Circle One: Limbo, The Virtuous Pagans
Characters
Dante- pilgrim, mortal
Poets
• Virgil
• Homer
• Horace
• Ovid
• Lucan
Heroes and Heroines
• Electra
• Hector
•
•
•
•
•
•
Aeneas
Caesar
Camilla
Queen Amazon
Latian King
Brutus
•
•
•
•
•
Lucrezia
Julia
Marcia
Cornelia
Saladin
Philosophers
• Aristotle
• Socrates
• Plato
• Democritus
• Diogenes
• Thales
• Anaxagoras
• Zenos
• Heroclitus
• Empedocles
Naturalists
• Dioscorides
• Orpheus
• Tully
• Linus
• Seneca
• Euclid
• Ptolemy
• Hippocrates
• Galen
• Avicenna
• Averrhoes
Symbolism
Punishment= hopelessness; these souls had lived sinless lives,
but according to Dante, without christ, there is no hope
Citadel= highest level without christ/god; lightest point
without christ (those who wish to know)
Brook= division between those who wish to know and the
outer darkness
Seven walls= seven sciences, seven virtues, seven liberal arts
Conflicts
Man vs. Man: Dante's battle with empathy
The Inferno
Canto V
Circle 2: The Carnal
Characters
Dante- pilgrim
Virgil- guide
Minos- judge; mythological King of Crete; wise, just
Semiramus- empress whose sexual appetite prompted her to rule
her kingdom with an "anything goes" attitude
Dido- promised to remain faithful to her husband after he died,
but fell in love with another man (Aenus); when Aenus abandoned her, she
killed herself (for love)
Cleopatra- ruler who entertained many lovers
Helen- cause of the Trojan War; left Menelaus (Greek) for Paris (Trojan),
thus starting a war between the two
Achilles- Greek; married; fell in love with Polyxena (Trojan) and agreed
to fight on Trojan side; when he went to temple to marry Polyxena,
he was killed by Paris
Paris- Trojan; seduced Helen, took her to Troy; cause of Trojan War
TristanFrancesca- married to deformed man; fell in love with husband's younger
brother (Paolo); husband discovered Paolo & Francesca together and killed
them both
Paolo- younger brother of Francesca's husband; may have been a proxy
to his older brother's marriage; married; had long term affair with
Francesca until he was killed by his brother
Symbolism
Minos's appearance= possible reference to Minos's parentage
(Europa was raped by Zues, masked in the form of a bull); bullish,
irate figure represents the guilty consciences of all those who come to
sit in judgement
Second Circle= beginning of sins of Incontinence (she-wolf)
Punishment= in life, sinners were swept away by their sexual passion,
so in death, their forms are eternally swept by a ferocious wind;
murky air= clouding of their
reason by passion; wind= lust
Paolo & Francesca's punishment= the two are eternally locked
together, reminding each other of their sin, and seeing only the shade of
the bodies which had provoked such passion in life
Dante's loss of consciousness= again, Dante is overwhelmed by
pity for the sinners
Circle 2= punishments in this circle are the lightest in Hell because
Dante felt that sins committed in the name of love were lesser sins
Conflicts
Man vs. Self: Dante's battle with empathy, loss of consciousness
Man vs. Supernatural: Dante's confrontation with Minos
Man vs. Nature: sinners' lost battle with passion
Man vs. Man: Paolo & Francesca's torment of one another
The Inferno
Canto VI
Circle 3: Gluttons
Characters
Dante- pilgrim
Virgil- guide
Cerberus- 3 headed dog that guarded the underworld in classic
mythology; Dante seems to have decided that at least one of Cerberus's
heads was human
Ciacco- the Hog- glutton from Florence
Farinata, Tegghiaio, Jacopo Rusticucci, Arrigo, Mosca- Florentines
of whom Dante wishes to know the eternal fate
Plutus- monster who guards the 4th circle
Symbolism
Punishment= in life, gluttons wallowed in food and drink, producing nothing
but garbage; in death, the gluttons' swollen bodies are forever surrounded by
the stinking filth that was the only thing they produced in life; Cerberus drools
over the sinners as they once drooled over food/drink
Ciacco's prophecy= Whites (Dante's party) will drive the Blacks from
Florence, but two years later, the Blacks will vanquish the Whites and
expel prominent White leaders (including Dante); remember- Dante
wrote this book in 1321, well after the prophecy was lived out
Conflicts
Man vs. Self: sinners' battle with their own filth
Man vs. Supernatural: Cerberus continually eats parts of the sinners;
Cerberus threatens Dante
Man vs. society: sinners' lack of contribution to the societies around them
The Inferno
Canto VII
Circle 4: The Hoarders & the Wasters
Circle 5: The Wrathful & the Sullen
Characters
Virgil- guide
Dante- pilgrim
Plutus- Greek god of Wealth
Anonymous hoarders & wasters
“tonsured ones”- members of the clergy
Anonymous wrathful & sullen
Dame Fortune- woman holding a wheel of chance (mythology)
who determines the fate of all; Dante makes her an angel
Symbolism
Plutus= suitable reference to greed
Punishment in Circle 4= Wasters & Hoarders focused solely
on money in life, so in death, they are encumbered by dead weights
(dead weights= greed); the two groups clash, thus punishing one another
as in life, their tendencies clashed
Unrecognizable sinners in Circle 4= these people have become so
enraged that their features are no longer recognizable; perhaps a reference to
the way money made their souls, characteristics, lives unrecognizable to others
Marsh of Styx= separation between Upper Hell and Lower Hell
Punishment of those in Circle 5= In life, the wrathful focused only on
anger and violence, so in death, they deal only with anger and violence;
In life, the sullen shut out Divine Light with their complaints, so in death,
they are trapped in the dark of the Styx still vocalizing their complaints
Chant= parody of a hymn
Conflicts
Man vs. Society: sins of the hoarders & wasters; clash of hoarders & wasters
Man vs. Man: fighting between the Wrathful
Man vs. Supernatural: confrontation with Plutus
The Inferno
Canto VIII
Circle 5: Wrathful & Sullen
Circle 6
Characters
Dante- pilgrim
Virgil- guide
Phlegyas- boatman of Styx; son of Ares/Mars (god of war)
and human mother; set fire to Apollo’s temple and was sent to Hades
Filippo Argenti-bitter political enemy of Dante
Angels- rebellious angels
Symbolism
Phlegyas= link between wrathful (father was god of war, hence wrath)
and rebellious angels (he rebelled against Apollo)
Argenti= slur against the Argenti family with whom Dante has
a personal grudge
Dante’s wish for other’s to hurt Argenti= Dante’s hardening of
himself against sin
Virgil’s approval of Dante’s cruelty toward Argenti= recognition that
Dante’s lack of pity brings Dante closer to perfection (closer to God)
Dis= capital city of Hell; all of Hell’s fire is contained within the city of Dis
Iron mosques= perversion/parody of Christian church
Virgil’s inability to get rebellious angels to open the gates of Dis=
Human Reason’s inability to deal with the essence of evil
Conflicts
Man vs. Man: Dante’s harsh words for Argenti; souls ripping Argenti
to pieces
Man vs. Supernatural: Dante’s conflict with Phlegyas; Dante’s
conflict with the rebellious Angels
Man vs. Self: Dante’s struggle with fear when faced with the
prospect of being alone in Hell
The Inferno
Canto IX
Circle 6: Heretics
Characters
Virgil- guide
Dante- pilgrim
Furies- Megaera, Alecto, & Tisiphone; malignant spirits who punish the guilty
Medusa- gorgon; whoever looked at her turned to stone
Messenger- messenger sent from Heaven to open the gates of Dis for
Dante & Virgil
Symbolism
Dante's fear & Virgil's reassurance= acknowledgment that there are limits to
Human Reason that only Divine Aid can overcome
Furies= remorse
Medusa= sadness at never being able to win the mercy of God
Storms preceding the Messenger= demonstration of God's intangible power
Punishment of the Heretics= in life, the heretics denied the existence of
an afterlife (spiritual immortality), so in death, they are sealed in their caskets
while tormented by the flames of God's wrath; Heretics are in the uppermost
level of Lower Hell (middle hell) because they were blind to God; on
Judgment Day, the flames will be extinguished and the lids of the caskets will
close, thus eternally encasing the souls in the caskets just as they had assumed
would happen (though, this time their spirits will still be cognizant of their
surroundings)
Conflicts
Man vs. supernatural: confrontation between Dante and rebellious
angels; confrontation between Dante and the Furies; punishment of the Heretics
Man vs. self: Dante's struggle against fear & doubt while awaiting the arrival
of the Messenger
The Inferno
Canto X
Circle 6: the Heretics
Characters
Virgil- guide
Dante- pilgrim
Farinata degli Uberti- Epicurean; leader of the Ghibellines;
opposed the razing of Florence; after his death, a decree of heresy was
published against him
Cavalcante dei Cavalcante- Epicurean; father of Guido;
Farinata's son-in-law
Guido Cavalcante- Epicurean; contemporary friend and poet of Dante
Emperor Frederick II- reputed Epicurean
Cardinal Ottaviano degli Ubaldini- dedicated life mostly to
money and politics; made a statement beginning with, "If I have a soul…"
so Dante marks him an Epicurean
Symbolism
Virgil's caution to Dante= Human Reason cautioning Man to guide
his words by the highest principles; urge to show proper respect
Verb tense= transient nature of time in Hell; causes Cavalcante
to mistakenly think son is dead
Farinata's refusal to acknowledge the flames of Hell= exhibition
of dignity; further proof of his Epicurean beliefs; sign of strength
Farinata's prophecy= Dante will be banished, along with many/most
of his political party within 50 years
Farinata's explanation of prophecies= damned can see only the future,
not the present or past; thus, when Judgment Day arrives, all of their intellects
will be void
Dante's words regarding Guido= thinly masked criticism of Guido's inability
to link Human Reason/Poetic Wisdom to Divine Love; sign that Guido
scorned Classicism, religion, and/or Reason; an example of how skepticism
is able to limit even a man of genius
Conflicts
Man vs. supernatural: sinners against the flames
Man vs. self: Dante's battle with sorrow at seeing a man of such splendor
(Farinata) in flames
Man vs. society: Farinata's prophecy puts Dante at odds with his city
The Inferno
Canto XI
Circle 6- Heretics
Characters
Virgil- guide
Dante- pilgrim
Pope Anastasius II- gave communion to a deacon (Photinus) who denied
the divine paternity of Christ; Dante confused Anastasius I with Anastasius II;
Anastasius I was an Emperor who became convinced by Photinus that Christ
was of human paternity (heresy, according to Dante)
Symbolism
Stench rising from Circle 7= foulness of Hell and its sins
Broken rock= result of the earthquake that took place in Hell when Christ died
Virgil's explanation of the structure of Hell= sins of Incontinence are least
Hated by God, so they're in the upper level of hell; Circle 7 contains the sins
of the Lion (Violence); Malice is the sin most hated by God; Fraud is most loathed
by God, as it is a sin only man is capable of, so it is punished most harshly in the
lowest region of Hell (Circles 8 & 9); levels/bolgias/rounds within the circles
contain punishments which increase in fervor as one descends
(i.e.- those punished in round 3 suffer more than those in round 1)
Virgil's explanation of why usury is a sin of the Lion= usury goes against Art,
therefore against God; usury = those who seek their fortune without labor
scorn Nature
Art= industry
Conflicts
Man vs. nature: Dante & Virgil are overcome by the stench of circle 7
The Inferno
Canto XII
Circle 7, round 1: Violent against Neighbors
Characters
Virgil- guide
Dante- pilgrim
Minotaur- half bull, half man; child of union between Pasiphae and a bull;
devoured 7 maidens and 7 youths each year; killed by Theseus with the help of
Ariadne (Minotaur's half-sister)
Chiron- Centaur; son of Saturn and a nymph; wisest of all Centaurs; taught
arms, medicine, astronomy, music, augury to others
Nessus- Centaur; carried humans across the River Evenus for payment;
tried to kidnap Hercules's wife, Dejanira, but Hercules caught & killed him;
Nessus told Dejanira to soak a shirt in his blood, and use it as a love charm
on her husband if Hercules started to stray; Dejanira followed Nessus's advice
when Hercules fell in love with Iole, and the shirt cost Hercules an agonizing death
Pholus- Centaur; renowned for being civilized; died by dropping one of
Hercules's poisoned arrows on his foot
Alexander the Great- founder and destroyer of many cities; many were killed in
his battles for territory, both in his own army and in those of the opposition;
submerged to eyelashes
Dionysius- Sicilian tyrant; known for bloodthirsty behavior; immersed to eyelashes
Azzolino- Count of Onora; Ghibelline; slaughtered many Paduans; tyrant;
submerged to eyelashes
Opizzo da Esti- Marquis of Ferrara; killed by stepson; immersed to his lashes
Guy de Montfort- murdered the nephew of King Henry III;
supposedly, the murder was committed in a church, then the heart was sent to Henry III;
submerged to the throat
Sextus- son of Pompey the Great; pirate; beneath the surface of the blood
Pyrrhus- possibly son of Achilles, who was unnecessarily brutal in the
destruction of Troy; possibly King of Epirus, who raged an endless bloody war
against the Greeks and Romans; submerged beneath the surface
Attila the Hun- King of the Huns; savage warrior and leader; may have eaten
two of his sons (either purposefully, or when served up as "animal" by his wife);
wholly immersed in blood
Rinier da Corneto- bloodthirsty robber-baron of the 1200's;
submerged beneath surface
Rinier Pazzo- bloodthirsty robber-barron of the 1200's;
submerged beneath surface
Symbolism
Punishment of those in Round 1= as the sinners loosed the blood of their
mortal victims, so they are immersed in boiling blood matching the level of their
murders in life; hence, those who killed more are deeper in the blood
Minotaur= bestial symbol; conceived through sodomy, violent;
perfect symbol for the sins of violence
Phlegethon= river of boiling blood; continues its way throughout the circle;
shallower toward the shore
Centaurs= half horse, half man; known for passion and violence;
symbols of the bestial human, thus fitting guards for those in this circle;
known for their marksmanship, these creatures shot sinners who rose above
their allotted blood level with arrows
Conflicts
Man vs. supernatural: Centaur and Minotaur's threat against Dante
Man vs. nature: sinners boiling in river of blood
Man vs. man: sinners' violence against fellow man
The Inferno
Canto XIII
Circle 7, Round 2: Violent against Themselves
Characters
Virgil- guide
Dante-Pilgrim
Harpies- birds with the faces of women; contaminated, dishonored all they
touched; Virgil wrote of them in The Aenid
Pier delle Vigne- minister of King Frederick II; falsely accused of treachery;
imprisoned and blinded; killed himself to avoid further torture; skilled rhetorician
Lano de Siena- famous squanderer; after wasting all of his fortune, legend
states that he set up a joust, knowing that he would lose, in order to avoid having
to live in poverty
Jacomo da Sant' Andrea- Padua; notorious for destroying his own property,
as well as that of others; he once set fire to all of the buildings
(servant huts and others) on the outer rim of his property
Anonymous suicide- from Florence
Symbolism
Punishment of the suicides= the suicides destroyed their human bodies
in life, so in death they are denied human form; in life, the suicides chose self-mutilation/
destruction as the means to express themselves, so in death, they
can only speak through the loss of their own blood; because they so willingly threw
aside their human forms, when Minos throws them into the seventh circle, their tree
roots spring wherever they land; even on Judgement Day, these sinners will be
denied their human bodies
Punishment of the violent against their own substance= in life, these sinners wasted
all they had, so in death, they are denied everything (even clothes); since these
sinners squandered everything, their creditors had nothing to collect, so in death,
the dogs tear them up and carry them away, since this is all that remains to
satisfy claims
Bitches= female dogs; conscience; creditors
Harpies= defilers of all they touch;
since Harpies corrupt/violate/contaminate/desecrate all they touch, they are
proper tormentors for the suicides- as suicides defiled/desecrated their own bodies,
so they are defiled/desecrated by the Harpies; ironically, it is only through
this eternal desecration that the suicides can find expression
Dante's stylistic change prior to speaking with Pier de Vigne= example of how
Dante alters his language and style to suit his subject matter;
Dante used the rhetorical style for which de Vigne was known to introduce
his character
Attila reference- mistake; Totilla destroyed Florence, not Attila
Conflicts
Man vs. self: Dante's ongoing battle with compassion for the sinners;
sinners' actions against themselves
Man vs. society: Jacomo da Sant' Andrea's actions against his servants
and their property
Man vs. nature: the sinners are all battling natural enemies- dogs and tree forms
Man vs. supernatural: Harpies are constantly destroying the forms of the suicides
The Inferno
Canto XIV
Circle 7, Round 3: Violent against God, Nature, and Art
Characters
Virgil- guide
Dante- pilgrim
Capaneus- blasphemer; a captain against Thebes; giant; while attacking
Thebes, he dared Jove to defend the city, whereupon he was struck dead
Old Man of Crete- tears form the source of all the waters of Hell; ancient giant
Symbolism
Blasphemers= violent against God
Sodomites= violent against Nature
Usurers= violent against Art (industry)
Desert/burning sands= sterility, wrath of Nature
Rain of fire= wrath of God
Punishment of all in Round 3= blasphemy, sodomy, and usury are all sterile
acts (they produce nothing), so it is fitting that the setting of the punishment
is a sterile desert; sinners are punished differently, depending on their sin;
Punishment of blasphemers= punished most harshly, suffering the wrath of
god and the sterility of nature, since their blasphemes both angered God and
produced nothing in life
Punishment of sodomites =run in circles and are most numerous, thus suffering
the wrath of nature (on the soles of their feet) as well as the wrath of God;
in life, sodomites enjoyed sex for sex's sake only, thus producing no offspring,
so they suffer Nature's punishment; in life, they didn't follow God's order to
reproduce, so they suffer his wrath; the punishment of the sodomites is constant,
but not as severe as that of the blasphemers
Punishment of usurers= in life, their money lending insulted both God and Nature,
so in death, they suffer the wrath of both
Banks of the Phlegethon= petrified
Old Man of Crete= represents the ages of man:
head = Golden Age
left foot= Iron Age, the Holy Roman Empire,
right foot= terra cotta, Roman Catholic Church, more fragile than the other foot,
but also better able to withstand weight;
tears= woes of man;
the old man stands in equidistant from the three continents, a center in Time;
his back faces Egypt, or the birth of religion, while he faces Rome, or the future
(especially that of the Catholic Church)
Conflicts
Man vs. man: Capaneus's angry rant directed at Dante
Man vs. nature: punishment of the sinners in this round
The Inferno
Canto XV
Circle 7, Round 3: Violent Against Nature
Characters
Virgil- guide
Dante- pilgrim
Ser Bunetto Latino-Florentine; notary; poet, author; respected by Dante;
offers prophecy; homosexual (most likely unknown until after his death)
Priscian- grammarian; poet; homosexual
Francesco d’Accorso- Florentine scholar; homosexual
Bishop Andrea de’Mozzi- Bishop of Florence who was transferred to Vicenza
at his brother, Tommaso’s, request; transfer enacted by Boniface VIII;
homosexual
Symbolism
Dante’s position in relation to the sodomites= Dante stood on the petrified banks
of the Phlegethon, thus making his feet even with the heads of the sodomites.
Perhaps a sign that Dante’s morals were higher than those to whom he speaks
Sinners’ severely burnt faces= indication that it is not always possible to recognize
a sinner. Dante’s possible ignorance of Brunetto’s homosexuality would be a perfect
example
Brunetto’s refusal to stop walking= sinners understand that they must suffer for
their sins, and willingly comply with Hell’s rules. Brunetto acknowledges that
if he stops running, he’ll have to lie on the sand for 100 years
Brunetto’s prophecy= Dante would be chased from his beloved Florence and the
politicians would try unsuccessfully to destroy him
Dante’s surprise at finding Brunetto in this round= Dante probably wrote The Inferno
between 1310-1314, and Brunetto died in 1294. Dante may not have realized that
Brunetto was a homosexual until after his death, thus prompting the surprise of Dante’s
literary counterpart
“Well heeded is well heard”= Virgil is proud that Dante seems unbent by the
dark prophecies, and continues to put his faith in God
Conflicts
Man vs. Nature: punishment of the sodomites
Man vs. Self: Dante’s sorrow at finding a man he respects (Brunetto) in this circle
The Inferno
Canto XVI
Circle 7, Round 3: Violent Against Art & Nature
Characters
Virgil- guide
Dante- pilgrim
Guido Guerra- leader of the Guelphs; Count of Guidi; Dante is the only
person to label him a homosexual
Tegghiaio Aldobrandi- mentioned in Canto VI; Guelph knight; advised
Florentines not to move against the Sienese, but was ignored;
Florentines suffered casualties; Dante is the only person to label Tegghiaio
a homosexual
Jacopo Rusticucci- Florentine knight; claims his wife was responsible
for making him a homosexual; nothing known of him historically
Guglielmo Borsiere- courtier, matchmaker, peacemaker; homosexual;
newly placed in the round
Symbolism
Sound of the waterfall= indication that Circle 8 will be lower than circle 7
(since Phlegethon plunges over the edge)
Virgil’s attitude toward Tegghiaio, Rusticucci, and Guerra= respect, deference
Wheel-like movement of the 3 sinners= illustration that it was necessary to keep
moving while speaking or else suffer severe punishment
(100 years on the sands, spreadeagle)
Sinners’ request for news= reminder that sinners only know what new arrivals
tell them about their cities; sinners wish to be remembered on earth, as their good
reputations are all that remain
Cord= Dante’s waistcord may be an unsupported reference to a brief period as a
Franciscan monk; device used to summon the monster
Conflicts
Man vs. self: Dante’s sorrow at seeing the men he respected suffering
Man vs. nature: sodomites’ punishment and scarring
The Inferno
Canto XVII
Circle 7, Round 3: Violent Against Art
Characters
Virgil- guide
Dante- pilgrim
Geryon- mythical King of Spain who lured travelers to his area and robbed
them; killed by Hercules for cattle; shape of a dragon, tail of a scorpion,
hairy arms, reptilian body, the face of a just and honest man; sole means by
which Dante and Virgil will travel down to the eighth circle; monster of Fraud
Catello di Rosso Gianfigliazzi- “azure on or, a kind of lion”; usurer in France;
Florentine knight
Ciappo Ubriachi- “on a blood red field, a goose whiter than whey”; usurer;
Ghibelline
Reginaldo Scrovegni- “sow azure on field argent”; usurer; sinner who speaks
to Dante
Vitaliano di Iacopo Vitaliani- Paduan; not yet dead, but has place reserved in
Round 3
Giovanni di Buiamonte- Florentine; usurer, gambler; not yet dead, but has place
reserved in the third round
Symbolism
Geryon= his body seems a different beast from every angle, making him
the perfect symbol of Fraud; the spotted body represents the sins of the Leopard,
the hairy paws represent the sins of the Lion, and the human face represents the
human nature of fraud (the corruption of the appetite, will, and intellect)
Usurers anticipation of the arrival of Giovanni di Buiamonte= demonstrates
Dante’s disapproval of Florence’s willingness to accept and honor a man for whom
Hell is waiting
Bag of money around the necks of the Usurers= usurers concentrate on money,
though are unable to do anything to take it, just as in life they focused on prospering
but did nothing themselves to make it happen; family crests= all that remains of
a usurer’s identity is his family name; his lack of productivity failed to win him
a legacy
Geryon’s descent= leaving the sins of the Lion (violent and bestial) and
moving on to the sins of the Leopard (malice and fraud)
Geryon’s quick departure= reminder that Dante’s weight is not something
the beasts of Hell are accustomed to
Conflicts
Man vs. self: Dante’s battle with terror at having to ride Geryon
Man vs. nature: punishment of the usurers
Man vs. society: usurers’ method of wealth- profiting from the work
of others within their community
Man vs. man: Scrovegni’s eagerness to see his living neighbors punished
The Inferno
Canto XVIII
Circle 8: Fraudulent and Malicious
Bolgia 1: Panderers and Seducers
Bolgia 2: Flatterers
Characters
Virgil- guide
Dante- poet
Venedico Caccianemico- panderer; nobleman in Bologna; offered his sister,
Ghisola, to the Marquis Obbizo de Este in order to win favor
Countless Bolognese= implication that there are fewer living Bolognese
than there are Bolognese in the second bolgia
Jason- seducer; leader of the Argonauts who carried off the golden fleece;
seduced Medea in order to gain the golden fleece, than abandoned her;
seduced Hypsipyle (cursed with a horrid odor, along with all other women of
Lemnos, when she failed to worship Aphrodite; these same women murdered
all the men of their for rejecting them), got her pregnant, then abandoned her;
Hypsipyle saved her father from murder by telling the other women of Lemnos
that she had already killed him
Alessio Interminelli da Lucca- flatterer; nothing known of him
Thais- flatterer; when given a slave and then asked if she thanked the giver,
she answered, “Nay, past all believing.” Her response was labeled an
example of immoderate flattery
Symbolism
Malebolge= evil ditch; location of all the bolgias for simple fraud
Sinners’ desire to hide their faces= unlike the sinners in the circles above,
these sinners want only to be forgotten
Punishment of the Panderers and Seducers= each group walks in opposite
direction on opposite sides of the bolgia, though the seducers walk on side
closer to the center of hell (i.e.- their sin was worse); the panderes and seducers
goaded others to do their bidding in life, so in death, they are forever goaded
by demons with whips; demons= guilty conscience;
demons’ horns may be a reference to cuckoldry and adultery (since either would
be used in pandering and seducing)
Bologna reference= indication that Bologna is a city full of panderers and seducers
Punishment of the Flatterers= in life, the flatterers’ were tainted by dishonesty,
so in hell, they are sunk in excrement; excrement is the equal of their false
flattery in life
Dante’s coarse language= an example of Dante’s habit of making his
language and style match his subject
Conflicts
Man vs. society: sinners’ insincerity used to gain the trust of whomever
they dealt with
Man vs. supernatural: seducers, panderers abuse at the hands of the demons
Man vs. nature: flatterers’ immersion in excrement, a substance produced
by nature
The Inferno
Canto XIX
Circle 8, Bolgia 3: Simoniacs
Characters
Virgil- guide
Dante- pilgrim
Pope Nicholas III-accepted money/gifts in exchange for ecclesiastic favors;
Boniface VIII- living Pope; accepted money/gifts in exchange for ecclesiastic
favors; Dante held him responsible for corrupting the church; he will replace
Nicholas III in the font; there will be one good Pope between
Nicholas III and Boniface VIII
Clement V- Boniface VIII’s successor in hell (Boniface’s earthly successor,
Benedictus XI, was a good man; even more corrupt than the two Popes
(Nicholas & Boniface) who came before him; still alive; may have bought the
papal position; he will replace Boniface VIII in the font
Constantine- Emperor credited with buying favor in the Church when he
converted to Catholicism; rumored to have moved his empire to the East,
giving the West to the Church
Symbolism
Punishment= Simoniacs hang upside down in a mockery of a baptismal font
while their feet are licked by eternal flames, which correspond to their guilt;
Simoniacs made a mockery of the holy office, so they are hung in a mockery
of a baptism; since the Simoniacs made a mockery of holy water, they are baptized
by fire; after each successor to Hell arrives, the sinners fall into crevices beneath
the fonts where they remain (perhaps symbolic of the Simoniac’s material trappings or
willingness to trap the Church in unholy negotiation); fire= parody of the oil used
in Last Rites
Virgil’s support of Dante down into Bolgia 3 and back out= Mankind’s inability
to appreciate the magnitude of corruption without the support of Human Reason
and the importance of Human Reason to lift mankind out of the bowels of sinful
behavior (with a little divine intervention)
Pope Nicholas III’s rant= mistakes Dante for Boniface VIII
Dante’s rebuke of Nicholas III= evidence that Dante is learning to shed pity
and condemn sinners for their sins; Virgil commends Dante’s ability to see evil for
what it is, without pity or empathy
Dante’s reference to the child= a child was drowning in a baptismal font
(San Giovanni) and could not be removed; fearing the child’s death, Dante
broke the font and was subsequently rumored to have committed sacrilege by
doing so; Dante wants the incident cleared up- he had broken the font to save
the child’s life
Conflicts
Man vs. man: Dante’s harsh words toward Nicholas III
Man vs. society: Simoniacs corrupted the Church, thus corrupting society; Dante’s
desire to set the record straight regarding his breaking the baptismal font
Man vs. nature: Dante’s real life struggle to prevent a boy from drowning
The Inferno
Canto XX
Circle 8, Bolgia 4: Fortune Tellers and Diviners
Characters
Virgil- guide
Dante- pilgrim
Amphiareus- foresaw his own death in a war, and attempted to run from it;
an earthquake split the earth as he fled, and he fell through a fissure to his death
Tiresias- diviner & magician; at one point changed himself into a woman,
then changed himself back by striking two intertwined serpents with his stick
Aruns- fortune teller; foretold the war between Julius Caesar and Pompey, and
also predicted that the war would end with Caesar’s victory
Manto- Tiresias’s daughter; sorceress who retired from the world with others
who sought to learn the craft; founded Mantua
Eurypylus- Greek auger who chose when the Greeks departed for Troy
(but wasn’t actually present); Dante mistakenly states that Eurypylus was present
in Aulis and chose the moment of departure for Agamemnon’s departure from
Aulis to Troy
Michael Scott- Irish scholar who studied the occult
Guido Bonatti- astrologer who counseled Guido da Montefeltro about his wars
Asdente- shoemaker turned diviner who won fame in the latter part of the 13th century
Albert, Count of Casoldi- reference to a Count who allowed himself to be persuaded
by Pinamonte de Buonaccorsi to banish all the noblemen from Mantua;
once the noblemen were gone, Pinamonte led a rebellion against Albert
Symbolism
Punishment= Diviners and Fortune tellers sought to tell the future, so in Hell,
their heads are twisted backward so that they are not allowed to even see
what comes immediately before them; since sorcery is a distortion of God’s law,
the body is distorted in hell; vision is blocked by tears
Canticle 1 reference= The Inferno; the first of three canticles in The Divine Comedy
Virgil’s lengthy discourse about the founding of Mantua= link to the background
of all civilization as Dante knew it; Mantua relates to the history of Troy, Rome, Virgil,
Florence
Tears running down the cleft of the sinners’ buttocks= debasement of sorrow
Virgil’s scolding= Virgil now points out that Dante should not feel pity for the
sinners; his lack of scolding earlier in the book may be a a sign that Human Reason
is fallible or simply an acknowledgement that earlier in the story, Dante wasn’t
ready to recognize the base nature of evil
Conflicts
Man vs. nature: sinners’ deformed bodies
Man vs. self: Dante’s struggle against pity for the sinners
Man vs. man: Virgil’s rebuke of Dante’s pity for the fortune tellers
The Inferno
Canto XXI
Circle 8, Bolgia 5: Grafters
Characters
Virgil- guide
Dante- pilgrim
Senator from Lucca- grafter; possibly Martino Bottaio
Bonturo Dati- notorious grafter in Lucca
Malacoda- demon; "bad tail;" leader of the demons
Demons- Grizzly, Hellken, Deaddog, Curlybeard, Grafter, Dragontooth,
Pigtusk, Catclaw, Cramper, Crazyred; sent as escorts for Dante and Virgil;
names indicate their physical characteristics
Symbolism
Punishment= in life, these folks secretly accepted bribes for political favors;
in death, the bodies of the grafters are secretly stashed in the boiling tar, just
as the sinners eagerly hid money or other advantageous trades; sticky pitch
(tar)= sticky fingers like those of the sinners; demons guard the grafters,
ready to rip and tear them if they rise above the surface of the tar;
demons= willingness to rend, tear, destroy, corrupt everything for their own
satisfaction, just as the demons willingly destroy the sinners
Virgil's warning to Dante= Dante was falsely charged as a grafter before being
exiled from Florence, so Virgil worries that he may be in physical danger in
bolgia 5; this is the only time that Dante feels physically threatened
Language/Style= coarsest language in the book; Catholics do not find
vulgarity or obscenity offensive, but do take offense at blasphemy and
profanity
Grafter from Lucca= indication that Lucca is a city full of grafters
Bridges to Bolgia 6= completely destroyed, though Malacoda lies and tells
the poets that the demons will lead them to the second bridge, which is
supposedly still standing; earthquake that shook hell when Christ died is
responsible for all the destruction
Dante's fear= mankind's difficulty in putting all of his trust into Human
Reason and Divine intervention
Exchange between Malacoda & other demons= the demons stick their
tongues out at Malacoda like a salute, which Malacoda answers with loud
flatulence; mockery of military conduct/tradition
Conflicts
Man vs. supernatural: senator's victimization at the hands of the demons
Man vs. nature: Dante and Virgil's difficulty passing through to bolgia 6
because of the damage done by an earthquake
Man vs. society: sinners' actions in life
Man vs. self: Dante's fear at having to go along with the demons
The Inferno
Canto XXII
Circle 8, Bolgia 5: Grafters
Characters
Virgil-guide
Dante- pilgrim
Demon escorts- Grizzly, Hellken, Deaddog, Curlybeard, Grafter,
Dragontooth, Pigtusk, Catclaw, Cramper, Crazyred; Hellken and
Grizzly start fighting and fall into the pitch
Anonymous Navarrese grafter- servant to King Thebault II of Navarre;
he escapes the demons after Dante spoke with him, causing the brawl that
ensued between Grizzly and Hellken
Friar Gomita- grafter; accepted money in exchange for allowing prisoners
to go free; eventually hung for grafting
Michel Zanche- Vicar of Logodoro; when the King of Sardinia was captured
during a war, Zanche arranged a divorce between the King and Queen, then
married the Queen; murdered by his son-in-law, Branca d'Oria
Symbolism
Dante's description of the oddity of the demons' signaling= evidence that Dante
probably had some military experience, most likely with the Tuscan army
Grafter's offer= grafter's offer to lure other sinners to the surface so that he might
go free fits the sin- he will give favors in exchange for something that benefits
himself
Demon difficulties= Grizzly and Hellken's wings became soaked with tar as
they struggled in the pitch; they began to burn, so Curlybeard organized a
rescue party
Virgil & Dante's decision to flee= fear that the demons will now be agitated
because of the loss of the sinner and the plight of Grizzly and Hellken, and
may take out their frustrations on Dante and Virgil
Conflicts
Man vs. self: Dante and Virgil both battle fear after they witness the difficulties
of the demons
Man vs. society: sins of the grafters
Man vs. man: the anonymous Navarrese's willingness to sacrifice other sinners
so that he might go free
Man vs. supernatural: demons' clawing of the Navarrese
The Inferno
Canto XXIII
Circle 8, Bolgia 6: Hypocrites
Characters
Virgil- guide
Dante- pilgrim
Jovial Friars-monks assigned to enforce order, protect the weak, and
keep the peace; they failed to follow their own laws and rather than protect
the weak, they simply protected their own affairs; they were disbanded by the Pope
Catalano dei Malavoti- hypocrite; Guelph; Jovial Friar of Florence in 1266;
jointly served as chief officer with Loderingo, an administration more violent
than any other; later, it was discovered that Catalano was working for Clement IV
to destroy the Ghibellines under the guise of an impartial peacemaker
Loderingo degli Andolo- hypocrite; Ghibelline; Jovial Friar of Florence in 1266;
jointly served as chief officer with Catalano, an administration more violent than
any other; later, it was discovered that Loderingo was working for Clement IV to
destroy the Ghibellines under the guise of an impartial peacemaker
Caiaphas- Jewish elder who advised that it was better for one Jew to be sacrificed
to the Romans rather than all; hypocrite
Annas- Caiaphas's father-in-law; had Jesus delivered to Caiaphas; hypocrite
Demons- all those surviving the rescue of Grizzly and Hellken
Symbolism
Virgil & Dante's descent into Bolgia 6= mankind's inability to navigate
through some kinds of terrain; Human Reason is necessary to carry man
through difficult paths in life
Punishment= sinners walk around in what appear to be beautifully elaborate
robes of holy office, but which in reality are weighted; in life, hypocrites appeared
to believe one thing while doing another, so in death, they appear to be in beautiful
robes which are actually serving to torture them
Punishment of Caiaphas and Annas= crucified the same way Jesus was crucified,
as their advice is what may have led to his death; the track the other sinners must
walk is very narrow, and each must walk over them as they lay crucified on the
floor; these men must suffer the weight of all the sinners' hypocrisy the way
Jesus had to suffer the burden (according to Christians) of all the world's sin
Demons' limitations= the demons were supposed to torture those in the 5th bolgia,
so they are not allowed to proceed into the other bolgias
Virgil's anger= the Friars tell him that all the bridges to and from Bolgia 6 lay
in rubble and Virgil realizes that Malacoda tricked him; may indicate Human Reason's
danger of being duped by Evil; no matter how worldly mankind may be, all men are
still naïve when compared to the Father of Lies or his minions
(as pointed out by the Friar)
Conflicts
Man vs. supernatural: Dante and Virgil's flight from the demons
Man vs. society: Caiaphas did what he thought was best for his people, but some
feel he actually caused mankind to suffer more
Man vs. nature: the struggle down the slope of Bolgia 6, and the coming
challenge of climbing out of the bolgia
The Inferno
Canto XXIV
Circle 8, Bolgia 7: Thieves
Characters
Virgil-guide
Dante- pilgrim
Various Thieves
Serpents- chelydri: trails smoke and burns, jaculi: fly through the air before
piercing their targets, pharese: plow the ground with their tails,
cenchri: waver from side to side, amphisboenae: have a head at each end of
its body
Vanni Fucci- son of a Black nobleman; thief; he stole the treasures of San Jacomo
along with two accomplices; other men were accused of the crime, and one
even spent a year in prison before it was discovered who had really committed the crime;
Fucci's accomplices were arrested, but Fucci fled
Symbolism
Virgil's anger at Dante= Virgil tells Dante that it is much too soon to tire, as the
climb ahead is much greater; Virgil may be telling Dante that the ascent to Purgatory
and Paradise will be a much longer climb, that Dante cannot allow himself to tire from
merely climbing away from hypocrisy (renouncing hypocrisy), or that the descent
into Hell to recognize/renounce will be much easier than the remainder of the
journey, purification of sin
Punishment= thieves are in a huge pit filled with serpents; since their hands were
The instruments used to commit their sins, their hands are bound behind their backs
by serpents; since thieves destroy other men by stealing their substance, their bodies
are stolen repeatedly in hell and then painfully reformed; reptiles= secrecy
The height of the walls= hell is on a downward slant, so the wall of each bolgia that
points to the deeper sections of hell is lower than the walls facing the other direction
Fucci's prophecy= Whites will be driven out of Florence by the Blacks and the Blacks
will capture a White stronghold in Serravalle; Fucci only told Dante the prophecy in
order to make Dante suffer
Conflicts
Man vs. nature: sinners plight with the serpents
Man vs. man: Virgil's anger at Dante
Man vs. self: Dante's attempt to not show discomfort through the
difficult climb up (though it's really down) to bolgia 7
Man vs. society: sins of the thieves
The Inferno
Canto XXV
Circle 8, Bolgia 7: Thieves
Characters
Virgil- guide
Dante-pilgrim
Vanni Fucci- thief; uttered prophecy in Canto XXIV;
Cacus- Centaur in The Inferno, but in Roman mythology, he was a giant; thief;
stole Geryon's cattle while it was being guarded by Hercules, so Hercules beat him
to death; found in The Aenid, though Virgil never claimed Cacus was a centaur,
he just said he was "half-human"
Agnello Brunellesci-thief; first appears as human
Cianfa-thief; first appears as a lizard, then merges with Agnello
Buoso degli Abati-thief; first appears as human, then changes forms
with Buoso
Francesco dei Cavalcanti-thief; killed by the people of Gaville, and his family
avenged his death by killing several townsmen; first appears as a tiny reptile,
then changes forms with Buoso
Puccio Sciancato-thief; appears as human
Symbolism
Last stage of Punishment= in life, thieves stole the belongings of others and
made it their own, so in death, they are forced to steal forms and make them their
own; since sinners change bodies so frequently, no one really knows what to call
his own
The merging of Agnello with Cianfa= in life, these two may have divided up the
stolen goods, so in death, they attempt to divide up the pains of hell
Fig= obscene gesture, similar to "the finger" in terms of meaning; even in hell,
blaspheming God wins abuse from others
Reference to Lucan (line 91) & Ovid (line 94)= Dante bragging that his skill in
relating the transformation of the physical forms will be better than the tales woven
by Lucan and Ovid; no time for modesty… heh
Conflicts
Man vs. man: Agnello's attack on Buoso in order to gain his human form
Man vs. nature: sinners' losing battle with serpents who wind through the
most sensitive regions of their bodies
Man vs. supernatural: Fucci giving the figs to God
The Inferno
Canto XXVI
Circle 8, Bolgia 8: Evil Counselors
Characters
Virgil- guide
Dante- pilgrim
Ulysses- evil counselor; planned the Trojan Horse scheme; convinced
Achilles to leave Deidamia and child, after which she died of grief;
stole the bust of Pallas, which strengthened the fate of Troy- Troy fell shortly after;
convinced his loyal crew to continue on a journey that ended with their deaths
Diomede- evil counselor; planned the Trojan Horse scheme
Symbolism
Punishment= Evil Counselors stole gifts from God and worked through hidden
means, so in hell their bodies are stolen from sight and hidden inside flames,
signifying their guilty conscience; since this sin was usually committed through
verbal pursuasion, the flames resemble tongues
Dante's sorrow= Dante is saddened by the future that awaits Florence, as outlined
by the prophecies he's heard in hell; he wants to speak more harshly of the thieves
and evil counselors, whom he blames for Florence's woes, but he controls himself;
Dante recognizes that he cannot use this work as a means to debase others- that would
be too much like the actions of those in hell;
Dante also felt betrayed and persecuted by men he thought to be evil counselors and
thieves, i.e.-those who banished him
Virgil's conversation with Ulysses= Virgil felt that Ulysses and Diomede would respond
better to him, since he had celebrated their earthly victories; may also symbolize that
the only direct link to between Greek poetry and Roman poetry came through Latin
intermediates (thus, Virgil was the link between Dante and Homer)
Dante's placement of Ulysses and Diomede in this bolgia= Dante was very pro-Trojan,
as they were the ancestors of Italy; tactics used by Diomede and Ulysses in the Trojan
War would not be seen as evil counseling by those who were not so anti-Greek
Conflicts
Man vs. nature: sinners' punishment
Man vs. society: sins of the evil counselors
Man vs. man: the entrapment of Ulysses and Diomede in the same flame
(see punishment of Paola & Francesca)
The Inferno
Canto XXVII
Circle 8, Bolgia 8: Evil Counselors
Characters
Virgil- guide
Dante- pilgrim
Count Guido da Montefeltro- head of the Ghibellines of Romagna; had been a
warrior but retired in order to save his soul; he became a monk, and was summoned
by Pope Boniface VIII; Boniface had a long standing battle with the Colonna family,
and he asked Montefeltro for his advice on how to destroy them; Guido hesitated,
and Boniface said that he would absolve him of all guilt before Montefeltro uttered
a word; believing his soul to be safe, Montefeltro told Boniface to convince the Colonnas
that he was offering amnesty, and once they accepted, destroy their castle so they had
nowhere to hide- Boniface followed the advice, and Montefeltro went to hell for it
Symbolism
Guido's approach= Montefeltro recognized Dante's speech, and knew he was
from Italy; he wanted to know the state of affairs in his home country
Guido's explanation of his sin= Montefeltro offered his story only because he
believed that Dante would never be able to return to earth; like all the other sinners
in Lower Hell, Montefeltro does not wish to be remembered
Conflicts
Man vs. nature: Montefeltro's immersion in flames
Man vs. self: Montefeltro's realization that he had to mend his ways,
and his struggle to live a just life; he lost the battle
Man vs. supernatural: the dispute between St. Francis and the demons over
Montefeltro's soul- since Montefeltro thought Boniface VIII had absolved him
of guilt, he had not repented the advice; the demon got him
The Inferno
Canto XXVIII
Circle 8, Bolgia 9: Sowers of Discord
Characters
Virgil- guide
Dante- pilgrim
Sowers of Religious Discord
Mahomet- split from his chin to his anus with all of his organs hanging out;
founder of the Islamic faith
Ali- split from the top of his head to his chin; Mahomet's son-in-law;
eventually succeeded Mahomet to the Caliphate
Fra Dolcino- still alive; started a rebel order of monks that preached community
property and community women; Clement V labeled them heretics, so they retreated
to the mountains with their women; Mahomet warns that they will be starved out of
their hiding place; this does indeed occur, and Dolcino and his woman, Margaret of
Trent, were burned at the stake
Sowers of Political Discord
Pier da Medicina- throat slit, nose cut off, ear chopped off; spoke to Dante
through his slit throat; offers prophecy
Curio-tongue cut off; advised Caesar to cross the Rubicon, which started the
Roman Civil War
Mosca dei Lamberti-both arms chopped off; inadvertently started the
Guelph/Ghibelline war
Sowers of Discord Between Kinsmen
Bertrand de Born-head chopped off, he swings it in front of him like a lantern;
knight; instigated a war between Henry II and his son
Symbolism
Punishment= in life, these sinners separated what God intended to be joined, so in
hell, their bodies are torn apart; the bodies are split by a demon according to their
level of guilt, then as the sinners walk around a track, their bodies heal- thus, they are
whole by the time they get back to the sword
Mahomet & Ali's wounds= together, the wounds would split a human completely
in half; Dante symbolizes that between the two o them, the followers of Mahomet and the
followers of Christ were completely divided
Pier da Medicina's prophecy= Malatestino da Rimini will invite Guido del Cassero
and Angioletto da Carignano to a conference at La Cattolica; on their way to the
conference, the two will be thrown overboard so that Malatestino will be able to have
the city of Fano (Guido and Angioletto were Fano leaders)
Mosca dei Lomberti's presence= though Dante had inquired of this man while
talking to Ciacco, thinking him a noble man, he now learns of his sins;
Buondelmonte dei Buondelmonti had insulted the honor of the Amidei clan by
breaking off his engagement to a Buondelmonti girl in favor of a girl of the Donati line;
when the Buondelmonte clan met, Mosca dei Lomberti advised them to kill
Buondelmonte, which the Amidiei did, thus starting what became the
Guelph-Ghibelline War
Wish to be remembered= sinners in this round wish to be remembered, unlike the
rest of the sinners in Lower Hell; could indicate that the discord that these sinners
reaped is remembered/remaining long after their lives ended
Conflicts
Man vs. society: discord
Man vs. supernatural: sinners repeated bouts with the demon & sword
The Inferno
Canto XXIX
Circle 8, Bolgia 10- Falsifiers (Alchemists)
Characters
Virgil- guide
Dante- pilgrim
Geri del Bello- Dante’s cousin; sower of discord; murdered by the Sacchetti family,
and had not yet been avenged
Capocchio- alchemist; speaks to Dante; Florentine friend of Dante’s; burned at the
stake for practicing alchemy
Griffolino D’arezzo- alchemist; created fake silver and gold; took money from
Alberto da Siena with the promise of teaching him to fly; when the idiot finally
figured out that Griffolino had been toying with him, he had the Bishop of Siena burn
Griffolino at the stake; spoke to Virgil and Dante
Symbolism
Punishment of Falsifiers= in life, falsifiers deceived the senses and corrupted society;
in death, these people are subjected to the sum of ALL falsifications of the senses:
darkness, stench, thirst, filth, disease, noise- this chaotic state would be a reflection of
the world had the falsifiers’ lies been accepted; in this bolgia, the senses are an affliction
rather than a guide; just as all the falsifiers used different degrees of falsification with
different goals, so they are all punished differently, depending upon their “class” of
falsification
Alchemy= medieval chemical science and philosophy aiming to achieve a universal
cure for disease, a means for indefinitely prolonging life, and the conversion of base
metals into gold
Scabby guys= alchemists tried to falsify nature, so now nature punishes their natural
bodies with natural plagues (scabs, tearing of flesh by fingernails, etc.)
Conflicts
Man vs. nature: punishment of the alchemists
Man vs. self: the falsifiers’ tearing of their own skin/scabs
Man vs. society: sins of the falsifiers
The Inferno
Canto XXX
Circle 8, Bolgia 10- Falsifiers (Evil Impersonators, Counterfeiters, False Witnesses)
Characters
Virgil- guide
Dante- pilgrim
Capocchio- alchemist; speaks to Dante; Florentine friend of Dante’s; burned at
the stake for practicing alchemy; dragged away by Gianni Schicchi
Griffolino D’arezzo- alchemist; created fake silver and gold; took money from Alberto
da Siena with the promise of teaching him to fly; when the idiot finally figured out
that Griffolino had been toying with him, he had the Bishop of Siena burn Griffolino
at the stake; spoke to Virgil and Dante
Gianni Schicchi- evil impersonator; at the request of Simone di Donati, Gianni
impersonated the dead Buoso di Donati and changed Buoso’s will in favor of Simone;
in the guise of the newly dead Buoso, Gianni also bequeathed up on himself, including
a prized mare
Myrrha- evil impersonator; daughter of the King of Cyprus; lusted after her father,
and dressed up as another woman and had sex with him; when the King discovered who
the girl was, he threatened to kill her; she ran away and was changed into a Myrtle- Adonis
was born from her trunk
Master Adam- counterfeiter; the Counts Guidi of Romena ordered him to counterfeit
Florentine florins of twenty-one carat gold (the usual was 24-carat); Master Adam created
so many coins that a currency crisis arose, and Master Adam was burned at the stake
Guido, Alessandro, their filthy brother- counterfeiting Counts Guidi; Guido died before
1300, and is the one Master Adam says is in the Bolgia
Potiphar’s wife- false witness; Joseph (son of Jacob) would not return her affections,
so the wife falsely accused him of attempted rape, thus landing him in jail
Sinon the Greek- false witness; convinced the Trojans to take the Trojan Horse into
the city, claiming it was a gift
Symbolism
Cappachio’s suffering the teeth of Gianni= literal reality check for a falsifier; though
he had tried to create unnatural substances out of nature, he is now the victim of a natural
instinct
Gianni and Myrrha’s ravenous cravings (punishment of the evil impersonators)= just as
these impersonators desired the appearance/bodies of other people in life, in death they
literally crave the flesh of others; in life they usurped human characteristics, so in death,
they may only reap animalistic imitations
Master Adam’s suffering (punishment of the counterfeiters)= counterfeiters created
money from plentiful sources, but craved more than what they’d created; thus, in death,
though swollen and waterlogged, the counterfeiter suffers from intense thirst- they still
long for something they have enough of already
Potiphar’s wife and Sinon’s suffering (punishment of false witnesses)= in life, these
false witnesses created fake stories, so in death, they suffer from intense fever which is
known for confusing the mind; the accusations and stories created by these people greatly
fevered all those around them, just as they themselves now are fevered (literally so hot
that their bodies smoke)
Fight between Sinon and Master Adam= comical; demonstrates the base behavior of the
sinners in this lower area of hell; the catty behavior and petty arguments, along with the
physical lashes with the arms, demonstrates their inability to behave on a more civilized
level; designed to show the ridiculous nature of all petty arguments
Virgil’s warning= Virgil needs to be sure that Dante understands that his fascination
with the base argument between Sinon and Adam is, in itself, base; Virgil warns that the
desire to witness base behavior/commentary is degrading; Dante is ashamed, and Virgil
forgives him
Conflicts
Man vs. man: Gianni’s tearing of Cappochio; the slapping frenzy between
Master Adam and Sinon
Man vs. self: Dante’s struggle not to be amused or interested in the baser elements
of human behavior
Man vs. nature: punishment of the counterfeiters and false witnesses
Man vs. society: sins of the falsifiers
The Inferno
Canto XXXI
Central Pit of Malebolge: Giants
Characters
Virgil- guide
Dante- pilgrim
Nimrod- giant; King of Babylon; never portrayed as a giant in the bible, though he is
in other mythology; built the Tower of Babel as a challenge to God or in an attempt to
get to Heaven; he was punished by having he and his workers all speak/understand
different languages; he cannot speak nor understand any known language
Ephialtes- giant; Son of Neptune (god of the sea); warred against the gods;
Apollo killed him; one arm is chained behind his back, the other across his chest
Briareus- giant; warred against the gods; son of Uranus (heaven) and Tellus (earth);
stands with one arm chained across his chest, the other behind his back
Tityos- giant; son of Tellus (earth); Jupiter hurled him here
Typhon- giant; son of Tellus (earth); Jupiter hurled him here
Antaeus- giant; son of Neptune and Tellus; was strengthened in battle every time
he touched his mother (the earth); Hercules killed him by holding him in the air
while strangling him; never rebelled against the gods, so he is not chained
Symbolism
Giants= in hell for their general nature, not for any particular sins;
represent elemental forces unbalanced by love, desire without restraint,
existence without theology or morality; symbols of the earth; unchecked passion
Nimrod's babbling= repercussion of conspiring against the gods
Ephialtes and Briareus's chains= repercussion of plotting to war against the gods
Location of Giants= guards of the final pit of Hell; giants are born of the earth,
so it is suitable that they be sunk in earth's lowermost area (Dante visualized Hell
as deep in the earth)
Conflicts
Man vs. self: Dante's battle with fear
Man vs. supernatural: Nimrod's conflict with the gods; giants' war with the gods
The Inferno
Canto XXXII
Circle 9: Cocytus- Compound fraud
Round 1 (Caina): Treacherous to kin
Round 2 (Antenora): Treacherous to country
Characters
Virgil-guide
Dante- pilgrim
Alessandro and Napoleone degli Alberti- Caina; twins and Counts of Mangona;
Alessandro was a Guelph and Napoleone was a Ghibelline; they killed one another
in a fight over politics and their inheritance
Modred- Caina; King Arthur's nephew; tried to kill Arthur
Focaccia- Caina; one of the Cancellieri of Pistoia; murdered his cousin,
which began a family feud ending in the split of the Guelphs into the White and
Black parties
Sassol Macheroni- Caina; Florentine; appointed guardian of his nephew,
but killed the nephew in order to get the inheritance for himself
Alberto Camicion de' Pazzi- Caina; murdered someone in his family
Carlino de' Pazzi- Alberto's relative; still alive; turned over a White castle for
a bribe, and will be placed in Antenora when he dies
Bocca degli Abbati- Antenora; Florentine traitor; in the battle of Montaperti, he
chopped off the hand of the standard bearer (signal man) of the Florentine cavalry,
and the cavalry was left without direction (defeated); Dante ripped out his hair for
refusing to tell his story
Tesauro dei Beccheria- Antenora; Florentine Guelphs cut off his head for plotting
with the Ghibellines (who'd been expelled)
Buoso da Duera- Antenora; head of a Ghibelline army specifically sent to oppose
French invasion; accepted a bribe and allowed the French army to pass unopposed
Gianni de' Soldanier- Antenora; Florentine Ghibelline nobleman; in 1265, he became
a leader of the Guelphs (commoners)
Ganelon- Antenora; betrayed Roland's position to the Saracens
Tebaldello de Zambrasi- Antenora; surrendered his city, Faenza, to Bolognese
Guelphs in order to take revenge on the Ghibelline family, Lambertazzi, who were
seeking refuge there
Symbolism
Cocytus= last body of water in Hell
Punishment of all in Circle 9= fixed in ice according to level of guilt, since in life they
had denied love, God, and all human warmth; since they refused God's love, they're
located furthest from his sun; they denied all human bonds, so they are bound only by the
ice in Hell
Punishment in Round 1 (Caina)= sinners are bound up to their necks, but can bend
their heads down so that tears do not seal their eyes shut
Punishment in Round 2 (Antenora)= sinners heads are fixed, so they are unable to keep
the tears from sealing their eyes
Alessandro & Napoleone's punishment= these twins had destroyed each other's lives,
so in death, they are forever stuck with one another; like Paolo and Francesca, they add
to one another's suffering
Dante's cruel treatment of Bocca degli Abatti= Dante's complete rejection of pity for this
level of sin
Bottom of Hell= center of the universe; focal point of all guilt; gravity, evil, and weight
drag mankind down; thus, Satan is also dragged down toward the center of all guilt,
fixed forever in the ice in the lowest portion, furthest from redemption
"What the hell's wrong?" etc.= punnery used to keep audience from feeling sorry for
these people despite their awful situation
Bocca degli Abatti's refusal to disclose identity= sinners here do not want to be
remembered; Abatti's disclosing of all the other sinners' names was done in
retribution
Note about treachery: Dante makes no distinction between treachery against one's
country and treachery against one's political party
Conflicts
Man vs. society: sinners' actions in life
Man vs. nature: sinners' punishment (ice)
Man vs. man: Alessandro and Napoleone's head butting, sinner chewing on other sinner
The Inferno
Canto XXXIII
Circle 9: Compound Fraud
Round 2: Treacherous to Country
Round 3: Treacherous to Guests and Hosts
Characters
Virgil- guide
Dante- pilgrim
Count Ugolino- Antenora; chews on Ruggieri; Guelph; plotted with Ruggieri to
get rid of his own nephew, Nino de'Visconti, in an effort to get more power; Nino died,
and Ruggieri took advantage of the now weakened Guelphs, throwing Ugolino, his sons,
and his grandsons in in prison; the prison was sealed a year later, and the crew was left
to starve to death; the youngest grandson, Anselm, was 15; in a war with Genoa, he gave
up castles to Lucca and Florence to buy these cities' neutrality, but they were already
aligned with Genoa (so it was treason against his country, Pisa)
Archbishop Ruggieri degli Ubaldini- Antenora; Ghibelline; plotted with Ugolino to get
rid of the Guelph leader, Nino de'Visconti, then betrayed Ugolino and had him, his
grandsons, and his sons sealed in a prison tower, left to starve to death
Friar Alberigo- Ptolomea; Jovial Friar; his brother, Manfred, struck him during an
argument; Alberigo acted as if he forgave his brother, and invited Manfred and his son
to a banquet; with the signal, "Bring in the fruit," an assassin killed both Manfred and his
son; his mortal body is still on earth
Branca d'Oria- Ptolomea; Ghibelline of Genoa; invited his father-in-law, Michel Zanche
(grafter)
to a banquet and had him and his companions cut into pieces; his nephew aided him in
the slaughter; mortal body still on earth
Symbolism
Ruggieri and Ugolino= since Ruggieri deprived Ugolino of food in life, in death he
becomes the food for his starved victim; because these two plotted against their own
countrymen in life before being split by betrayal, they suffer together for all eternity;
they contribute to one another's misery
Punishment in Round 3 (Ptolomea)= sinners lie flat while tears seal their eyes shut;
subsequent tears cannot fall and they are unable to express their grief, thus adding to
their agony; sins of the people in the round are so awful that their punishment begins
even before their physical bodies die; demons inhabit their bodies on earth, and their
souls are sent to Ptolomea to suffer
Alberigo's story of Branca d'Oria= Alberigo explains that Branca's soul was in hell
before Michel Zanche's, thus illustrating the fact that these sinners come to Ptolomea
immediately after committing their sins
Dante's broken promise to Alberigo= Dante had promised to unseal Alberigo's eyes
if he would tell his story, but Dante opted not to keep his word; Dante felt that his sin
was so terrible, that even being "rude to him was a courtesy" (150)
Conflicts
Man vs. man: Ugolino gnawing on Ruggieri; sins of those in Round 3
Man vs. self: struggle of those in Round 3 to loosen their tears and allow their grief
expression
Man vs. nature: sinners' plight against the ice
Man vs. society: sins of those in Round 2
The Inferno
Canto XXXIV
Circle 9: Compound Fraud
Round 4: Judecca, Treacherous to their masters
Center: Satan
Characters
Virgil- guide
Dante- pilgrim
Satan- gigantic; stuck in ice; 3 pair of wings; 3 faces- one red, one yellowish white, one black
Judas Iscariot- Judecca; chewed by red face; accepted money in return for turning over
Jesus Christ to the Romans; head is in Satan's mouth, in much the same position as the
Simoniacs
Cassius- Judecca; chewed by whitish face; advised Brutus to murder Julius Caesar; lower
body in Satan's mouth
Brutus- Judecca; chewed by black face; lower body in Satan's mouth; killed Julius Caesar
Symbolism
Punishment of those in Round 4= since they betrayed their leaders in life, they are left
to suffer alone in Hell; each sinner lies beneath the ice, completely frozen in
uncomfortable positions; they cannot cry or communicate, just as they stole those
options from their leaders
Punishment of those with Satan= these are the worst of those in Round 4; these betrayals
had marked effects on history and all mankind; therefore, their bodies are marked by the
tearing jaws of Satan
Positioning of the sinners in Satan's mouths= Judas is positioned head first and seems
to suffer the harshest flaying because his sin was most offensive to God; he sold a
religious icon to others for money, just as simoniacs sold favors for money; the others
are left with their heads out, as their betrayals had nothing to do with religion
Brutus's silence= in life, Brutus was an inherently honest man, and had been convinced
that killing Caesar was what would be best for Rome; in death, he understands that his
actions were misguided and he deserves his punishment
Satan's faces= parody of the Holy Trinity
Satan's punishment= Satan turned on God, his leader, in an attempt to gain more power,
so now he is left completely powerless; he flaps his wings to escape the ice, yet the
flapping merely serves to create bitingly cold winds, sealing him even more firmly in
the ice; his wings create the ice in all of Circle 9
The climb= Virgil and Dante travel down Satan's side, toward his feet; in the middle,
Virgil turns upside down and appears to be climbing; Dante feels they are climbing
back up to Satan, but in fact, they are now climbing through the center of the earth- thus,
climbing up is really climbing down his legs, up toward the surface that is the opposite
side of the earth
Lethe= Dante and Virgil must cross in order to get to the mount of Purgatory;
in mythology, Lethe was the river of forgetfulness; Dante uses Lethe as a means for
those to cleanse themselves of the memory of sin before continuing on into Purgatory
Timing= Dante exits on Easter Sunday; he has experienced a spiritual rebirth, and
will continue his journey heavenward
Stars= every book in The Divine Comedy ends with stars, the symbol of hope and virtue
Conflicts
Man vs. supernatural: Satan's torment of Judas, Brutus, and Cassius; Dante's climb
down/up Satan
Man vs. nature: sinners' punishment in Round 4
Man vs. self: Dante's fear while climbing down/up Satan
Man vs. man: betrayals committed by those in Round 4
Man vs. society: impact of the betrayals of Brutus, Cassius, and Judas