Plot Summary
By Michael J. Cummings...© 2003
The Divine Comedy has three sections: Inferno (Hell), Purgatorio (Purgatory)
and Paradiso (Paradise or Heaven). The first section has 33 cantos (chapters) and an
introduction of 1 canto for a total of 34. The second and third sections each have 33 cantos.
The characters include mythological and historical personages.
The Forest of Error
On Good Friday in 1300, the thirty-five-year-old Dante enters the Forest of Error, a dark
and ominous wood symbolizing his own sinful materialism and the materialism of the world
in general. At the top of a hill in the distance, he sees a light representing the hope of the
resurrected Christ. When he attempts to climb toward the light, a leopard, lion, and shewolf—which symbolize human iniquity—block his way. The spirit of the Roman poet Virgil
(also spelled Vergil), author of the epic The Aeneid, comes forth to rescue him. Virgil, the
exemplar of human reason, offers to escort him out of the Forest of Error by another route,
for there is no way to get by the she-wolf. This alternate route leads first through Hell, where
Dante will recognize sin for what it is, then through Purgatory, where Dante will abjure sin
and purge himself of it. Finally, it leads to Heaven, where Beatrice—a woman Dante had
loved before her death in 1295—will become his guide while Virgil returns from whence he
came, for human reason cannot mount the heights of paradise. Dante happily agrees to make
the journey, and they depart.
Hell (Inferno)
After passing into hell, Dante and Virgil hear the groans and wails of the damned in the
outer reaches of the abyss and see persons who were lukewarm and halfhearted in their moral
lives. They then cross the Acheron River and arrive at a cone-shaped cavern with nine circles.
In the First Circle at the top, called Limbo, are the least offensive souls, such as unbaptized
but well-meaning heathens. They suffer no torment. However, they cannot move on to
Purgatory or Heaven because they died before Christ brought redemption. Virgil himself
dwells in the First Circle.
They then pass down through the other eight circles, seeing terrible sights of suffering
experienced by those who died in mortal sin (in Catholicism, the worst kind of sin, such as
willful murder and rape). Circles 2 through 6 contain those who could not control their
desires for sex, food, money, or false religion (heresy). Among the personages they encounter
are Queen Cleopatra of Egypt, the Greek warrior Achilles, Helen of Troy, and the man who
carried her off, Paris.The Seventh Circle contains those who committed violence against
themselves or others, or against God himself. The Eighth Circle contains hypocrites, thieves,
forgers, alchemists, swindlers, flatterers, and deceivers. The Ninth Circle, reserved for the
worst evildoers, are traitors of every kind—those who were false to friends or relatives, or to
their country or a noble cause. Dante sees two political leaders frozen together in a lake, head
to head. He also encounters the most abominable of all traitors—Judas Iscariot, the betrayer
of Christ—and Brutus and Cassius, the assassins of Julius Caesar. Satan himself, the arch
fiend, is here frozen in the lake.
Purgatory (Purgatorio)
Dante and Virgil next arrive at the Mount of Purgatory, which is surrounded by an ocean.
On ten terraces running up the side of the mountain are souls purging themselves of venial
(less serious) sins such as negligence, pride, envy, sloth, or political intrigue. Dante exults in
the light and hope that greet him after leaving the horrid realm of darkness and death. At the
entrance to Purgatory, Dante and Virgil meet Cato, an ancient Roman who, as censor in 184
BC, attempted to root out immorality and corruption in Roman life. In Dante's poem, Cato
symbolizes the four cardinal virtues of Roman Catholicism: prudence, justice, fortitude and
temperance. On Cato's instructions, Virgil cleanses Dante's face of the grime of hell and
girdles his waist with a reed, symbolizing humility. An angel writes seven P's across Dante's
forehead, each representing one of the seven deadly sins. (The Italian word for sin begins
with a P.) The angel then tells Dante he must wash away the P's—that is, purge himself of
sin—while in Purgatory.
Among the terrace dwellers are excommunicants who repented before they died, a lazy
Florentine who postponed doing good works most of his life, and monarchs who neglected
their duties. As Dante and Virgil continue upward, they also meet the proud, the envious,
the avaricious, the wasteful, and the lustful. Farther up the mountain, they can gaze across
the River Lethe and see the Earthly Paradise, signaling it is time for Virgil to leave and return
to his abode, the First Circle of the heathens.
Still observing from the opposite bank of the river (and still in Purgatory), Dante sees a
pageant in which the participants and sacred objects symbolize books of the Bible, virtues,
the human and divine natures of Christ, Saints Peter and Paul, and other disciples of the
Christian religion. Beatrice is there, too. Out of love for him, she rebukes him for the sins he
has committed. After he confesses his guilt, she invites the purified Dante to come across the
river and ascend to heaven.
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Canto-by-Canto Outline
The following canto-by-canto outline of The Divine Comedy accompanies the Charles Eliot
Norton translation of the epic, which is in the public domain and is available at Project
Gutenberg. Click here to access the complete text.
Hell (Inferno)
CANTO I. Dante, astray in a wood, reaches the foot of a hill which he begins to ascend; he
is hindered by three beasts; he turns back and is met by Virgil, who proposes to guide him
into the eternal world.
CANTO II. Dante, doubtful of his own powers, is discouraged at the outset.—Virgil cheers
him by telling him that he has been sent to his aid by a blessed Spirit from Heaven.—Dante
casts off fear, and the poets proceed.
CANTO III. The gate of Hell. Virgil leads Dante in.—The punishment of the neither good
nor bad.—Acheron, and the sinners on its bank.—Charon.—Earthquake.—Dante swoons.
CANTO IV. The further side of Acheron.—Virgil leads Dante into Limbo, the First Circle
of Hell, containing the spirits of those who lived virtuously but without Christianity.—
Greeting of Virgil by his fellow poets.—They enter a castle, where are the shades of ancient
worthies.—Virgil and Dante depart.
CANTO V. The Second Circle: Carnal sinners.—Minos.—Shades renowned of old.—
Francesca da Rimini.
CANTO VI. The Third Circle: the Gluttonous.—Cerberus.—Ciacco.
CANTO VII. The Fourth Circle: the Avaricious and the Prodigal.— Pluto.—Fortune.—
The Styx.—The Fifth Circle: the Wrathful and the Sullen.
CANTO VIII. The Fifth Circle.—Phlegyas and his boat.—Passage of the Styx.—Filippo
Argenti.—The City of Dis.—The demons refuse entrance to the poets.
CANTO IX. The City of Dis.—Eriehtho.—The Three Furies.—The Heavenly
Messenger.—The Sixth Circle: Heresiarchs.
CANTO X. The Sixth Circle: Heresiarchs.—Farinata degli Uberti.— Cavalcante
Cavalcanti.—Frederick II.
CANTO XI. The Sixth Circle: Heretics.—Tomb of Pope Anastasius.— Discourse of Virgil
on the divisions of the lower Hell.
CANTO XII. First round of the Seventh Circle: those who do violence to others.—Tyrants
and Homicides.—The Minotaur.—The Centaurs.—Chiron.—Nessus.—The River of
Boiling Blood, and the Sinners in it.
CANTO XIII. Second round of the Seventh Circle: those who have done violence to
themselves and to their goods.—The Wood of Self-murderers.—The Harpies.—Pier della
Vigne.—Lano of Siena and others.
CANTO XIV. Third round of the Seventh Circle those who have done violence to God.—
The Burning Sand.—Capaneus.—Figure of the Old Man in Crete.—The Rivers of Hell.
CANTO XV. Third round of the Seventh Circle: those who have done violence to
Nature.—Brunetto Latini.—Prophecies of misfortune to Dante.
CANTO XVI. Third round of the Seventh Circle: those who have done violence to
Nature.—Guido Guerra, Tegghiaio Aldobrandi and Jacopo Rusticucci.—The roar of
Phlegethon as it pours downward.— The cord thrown into the abyss.
CANTO XVII. Third round of the Seventh Circle: those who have done violence to Art.—
Geryon.—The Usurers.—Descent to the Eighth Circle.
CANTO XVIII. Eighth Circle: the first pit: Panders and Seducers.— Venedico
Caccianimico.—Jason.—Second pit: false flatterers.— Alessio Interminei.—Thais.
CANTO XIX. Eighth Circle: third pit: Simonists.—Pope Nicholas III.
CANTO XX. Eighth Circle: fourth pit: Diviners, Soothsayers, and Magicians.—
Amphiaraus.— Tiresias.— Aruns.—Manto.—Eurypylus.— Michael Scott.—Asolente.
CANTO XXI. Eighth Circle: fifth pit: Barrators.—A magistrate of Lucca.—The
Malebranche.—Parley with them.
CANTO XXII. Eighth Circle: fifth pit: Barrators.—Ciampolo of Navarre.—Brother
Gomita.—Michael Zanche.—Fray of the Malebranche.
CANTO XXIII. Eighth Circle. Escape from the fifth pit.—The sixth pit: Hypocrites.—The
Jovial Friars.—Caiaphas.—Annas.—Frate Catalano.
CANTO XXIV. Eighth Circle. The poets climb from the sixth pit.— Seventh pit:
Fraudulent Thieves.—Vanni Fucci.—Prophecy of calamity to Dante.
CANTO XXV. Eighth Circle: seventh pit: Fraudulent Thieves.— Cacus.—Agnello
Brunellesehi and others.
CANTO XXVI. Eighth Circle: eighth pit: Fraudulent Counsellors.— Ulysses and Diomed.
CANTO XXVII. Eighth Circle: eighth pit: Fraudulent Counsellors.— Guido da
Montefeltro.
CANTO XXVIII. Eighth Circle: ninth pit: Sowers of discord and schism.—Mahomet and
Ali.—Fra Dolcino.—Pier da Medicina.— Curio.—Mosca.—Bertran de Born.
CANTO XXIX. Eighth Circle: ninth pit.—Geri del Bello.—Tenth pit: Falsifiers of all
sorts.—Griffolino of Mezzo.—Capocchio.
CANTO XXX. Eighth Circle: tenth pit: Falsifiers of all sorts.— Myrrha.—Gianni
Schiechi.—Master Adam.—Sinon of Troy.
CANTO XXXI. The Giants around the Eighth Circle.—Nimrod.— Ephialtes.—Antiens
sets the Poets down in the Ninth Circle.
CANTO XXXII. Ninth Circle: Traitors. First ring: Caina. —Counts of Mangona.—
Camicion de' Pazzi.—Second ring: Antenora.— Bocca degli Abati.—Buoso da Duera.—
Count Ugolino.
CANTO XXXIII. Ninth Circle: Traitors. Second ring: Antenora.— Count Ugolino.—
Third ring: Ptolomaea.—Brother Alberigo.—Branca d' Oria.
CANTO XXXIV. Ninth Circle: Traitors. Fourth ring: Judecca.— Lucifer.— Judas, Brutus
and Cassius.— Centre of the universe.— Passage from Hell.—Ascent to the surface of the
Southern hemisphere.—
Purgatory (Purgatorio)
CANTO I. Invocation to the Muses.—Dawn of Easter on the shore of Purgatory.—The
Four Stars.—Cato.—The cleansing of Dante from the stains of Hell.
CANTO II. Sunrise.—The Poets on the shore.—Coming of a boat, guided by an angel,
bearing souls to Purgatory.—Their landing.—Casella and his song.—Cato hurries the souls
to the mountain.
CANTO III. Ante-Purgatory.—Souls of those who have died in contumacy of the
Church.—Manfred.
CANTO III. Ante-Purgatory.—Souls of those who have died in contumacy of the
Church.—Manfred.
CANTO IV. Ante-Purgatory.—Ascent to a shelf of the mountain.—The negligent, who
postponed repentance to the last hour—Belacqua.
CANTO V. Ante-Purgatory.—Spirits who had delayed repentance, and met with death by
violence, but died repentant.—Jacopo del Cassero.—Buonconte da Montefeltro.—Via de'
Tolomei.
CANTO VI. Ante-Purgatory.—More spirits who had deferred repentance till they were
overtaken by a violent death.—Efficacy of prayer.—Sordello.—Apostrophe to Italy.
CANTO VII. Virgil makes himself known to Sordello.—Sordello leads the Poets to the
Valley of the Princes who have been negligent of salvation.—He points them out by name.
CANTO VIII. Valley of the Princes.—Two Guardian Angels.—Nino Visconti.—The
Serpent.—Corrado Malaspina.
CANTO IX. Slumber and Dream of Dante.—The Eagle.—Lucia.—The Gate of
Purgatory.—The Angelic Gatekeeper.—Seven P's inscribed on Dante's Forehead.—
Entrance to the First Ledge.
CANTO X. First Ledge the Proud.—Examples of humility sculptured on the Rock.
CANTO XI. First Ledge: the Proud.—Prayer.—Omberto Aldobrandeschi.—Oderisi d'
Agubbio.—Provinzan Salvani.
CANTO XII. First Ledge: the Proud.—Examples of the punishment of Pride graven on the
pavement.—Meeting with an Angel who removes one of the P's.—Ascent to the Second
Ledge.
CANTO XIII. Second Ledge: the Envious.—Examples of Love.—The Shades in haircloth,
and with sealed eyes.—Sapla of Siena.
CANTO XIV. Second Ledge: the Envious.—Guido del Duca.—Rinieri de' Calboli.—
Examples of the punishment of Envy.
CANTO XV. Second Ledge: the Envious.—An Angel removes the second P from Dante's
forehead.—Discourse concerning the Sharing of Good.—Ascent to the Third Ledge: the
Wrathful.—Examples of Forbearance seen in Vision.
CANTO XVI. Third Ledge: the Wrathful.—Marco Lombardo.—His discourse on Free
Will, and the Corruption of the World.
CANTO XVII. Third Ledge: the Wrathful.—Issue from the Smoke.—Vision of examples of
Anger—Ascent to the Fourth Ledge, where Sloth is purged—Second Nightfall—Virgil
explains how Love is the root of Virtue and of Sin.
CANTO XVIII. Fourth Ledge: the Slothful.—Discourse of Virgil on Love and Free Will.—Throng of Spirits running in haste to redeem their Sin.—The Abbot of San Zeno.—Dante
falls asleep.
CANTO XIX. Fourth Ledge: the Slothful.—Dante dreams of the Siren—The Angel of the
Pass.—Ascent to the Fifth Ledge.—Pope Adrian V.
CANTO XX. Fifth Ledge: the Avaricious.—The Spirits celebrate examples of Poverty and
Bounty.—Hugh Capet.—His discourse on his descendants.—Trembling of the Mountain.
CANTO XXI. Fifth Ledge: the Avaricious.—Statius.—Cause of the trembling of the
Mountain.—Statius does honor to Virgil.
CANTO XXII. Ascent to the Sixth Ledge—Discourse of Statius and Virgil.—Entrance to
the Ledge: the Gluttonous.—The Mystic Tree.—Examples of Temperance.
CANTO XXIII. Sixth Ledge the Gluttonous.—Forese Donati.—Nella.—Rebuke of the
women of Florence.
CANTO XXIV. Sixth Ledge: the Gluttonous.—Forese Donati.—Bonagiunta of Lucca.—
Pope Martin IV.—Ubaldin dalla Pila.—Bonifazio.—Messer Marchese.—Prophecy of
Bonagiunta concerning Gentucca, and of Forese concerning Corso de' Donati.—Second
Mystic Tree.—The Angel of the Pass.
CANTO XXV. Ascent to the Seventh Ledge.—Discourse of Statius on generation, the
infusion of the Soul into the body, and the corporeal semblance of Souls after death.—The
Seventh Ledge:the Lustful.—The mode of their Purification.
CANTO XXVI. Seventh Ledge: the Lustful.—Sinners in the fire, going in opposite
directions.—Guido Guinicelli.—Arnaut Daniel.
CANTO XXVII. Seventh Ledge: the Lustful.—Passage through the Flames.—Stairway in
the rock.—Night upon the stairs.—Dream of Dante.—Morning.—Ascent to the Earthly
Paradise.—Last words of Virgil.
CANTO XXVIII. The Earthly Paradise.—The Forest.—A Lady gathering flowers on the
bank of a little stream.—Discourse with her concerning the nature of the place.
CANTO XXIX. The Earthly Paradise.—Mystic Procession or Triumph of the Church.
CANTO XXX. The Earthly Paradise.—Beatrice appears.—Departure of Virgil.—Reproof of
Dante by Beatrice.
CANTO XXXI. The Earthly Paradise.—Reproachful discourse of Beatrice, and confession
of Dante.—Passage of Lethe.—Appeal of the Virtues to Beatrice.—Her Unveiling.
CANTO XXXII. The Earthly Paradise.—Return of the Triumphal procession.—The
Chariot bound to the Mystic Tree.—Sleep of Dante.—His waking to find the Triumph
departed.—Transformation of the Chariot.—The Harlot and the Giant.
CANTO XXXIII. The Earthly Paradise.—Prophecy of Beatrice concerning one who shall
restore the Empire.—Her discourse with Dante.—The river Eunoe.—Dante drinks of it,
and is fit to ascend to Heaven.