Summary of the Levels and Circles of Hell
From: http://www.flashcardmachine.com/dantes-inferno-sinpunishment.html
The Dark Wood Where Dante arrives for straying from a righteous life, Where he meets the Lion, the
Wolf, and the Leopard which block his path to leave. He meets Virgil here who will guide
him through the depths of hell in order to exit.
Ante-Inferno
For those who live without disgrace and without praise. They are stuck crying and sighing
or Vestibule
in depression for never knowing the presence of God.
First Circle
Also known as Limbo, For those worthy but not baptised and/or before the time of
Christianity. They live in a fog away from the grace of god. Fitting because the Fog
blinds the inhabitants much like the absence of God blinds them with no hope, and ever
longing for God.
Chief Sinners: Virgil, Homer
Second Circle
For the Lustful, Carnal Sinners They are blown around by a violent, never ending
storm, never to rest. Fitting because this is how one would imagine life being if one lived
purely off of emotions, uncontrolled, never settled.
Chief Sinners: Francesca da Rimini, who slept with her brother-in-law, Paolo Malatesta
Third Circle
For the Gluttons They are rained upon by stinky rain and garbage, and stand in worms
decomposing the mess. Fitting because over-indulgence is grotesque, ugly, and causes
waste, in which the sinners must eternally live in. Constantly barked at by Cerberus.
Chief Sinner: Ciacco, He tells of the fall of Dante's Political party in Florence
Fourth circle
For the Avaricious (Hoarders) and the Prodigal (Squanderers). Forced to push
stones against each other, each saying the other is wrong in the way they manage money.
Fitting because they are both bad but on opposite ends of the spectrum. For their
imbalanced lifestyle they must forever work against each other to even each other out.
Chief Sinners: Unknown, an aspect of the sin that they committed: money takes over
identity.
Fifth circle
For the Wrathful and the Sullen. The wrathful are on the bank of the river Styx and
are constantly fighting in the mud. Fitting because they could not manage their anger in
life. The Sullen are submerged in the black tar river, forever choking. Fitting because they
never enjoyed their freedoms, so now they are forever stuck in the river.
Sixth Circle
For the Heretics They are locked in Burning Tombs. Fitting because Fire (a symbol of
gods love) consumes them in torture, for in life they went against god, so now they cannot
escape his love. They also can only see distant events, not the present
Chief Sinner: Farinat who predicts Dante will be exiled from Florence
Seventh circle
For violence against neighbours. Made to boil in blood, and shot by arrows if they get
-First Ringout higher than they are deemed worthy. Fitting because those tortured must boil in the
blood they created in life by violence.
Chief sinner: Alexander the Great, who was violent against many of his countrymen as a
tyrant
Seventh Circle
For those violent against themselves They are turned into trees and are immobile.
-Second Ring
They are tortured and pecked at by Harpies. They will never be returned to their bodies
because they didn’t properly appreciate them in the first place.
Chief Sinner: Pier della Vigna, who felt so ashamed by the lies of schemers, took his own
life.
Seventh circle
For those violent against God. Three Rings: Blasphemers – Stand on burning hot
-Third Ringsand. Sodomites - Also rained upon fire. Usurers - also with heavy purses around their
necks
Chief Sinner: Capaneus, Besieged Thebes. He is very defiant, still, and says hell shall
never break him.
Circle Eight and
Circle Nine
Eighth Circle
- Valley OneEighth Circle
- Valley TwoEighth Circle
- Valley Three
Eighth Circle
- Valley FourEighth Circle
- Valley FiveEighth Circle
- Valley Six-
Eighth Circle
- Valley SevenEighth Circle
- Valley Eight-
Eighth Circle
- Valley NineEighth Circle
-Valley Ten-
Philosophy
Circle Eight is where the normal fraud is punished,
Circle Nine is where sacred fraud is punished.
For the Panderers and Seducers They are forced to run back and forth away from
whipping demons. Fitting because seducers and panderers were like slave drivers, so now
they must suffer the fate of a slave. Constantly moved by threats and acts of violence.
Chief Sinner: Jason, Murdered men, abused women, and ruined the land.
For the Flatterers Buried in Excrement. Fitting for the "bullsh*t" that comes from their
mouths, which they now must stand in.
Chief sinner: Thais, who returned her lover's question with false answers.
For Simoniacs For those who held holy offices that did nothing or were corrupt.
Buried head first in fonts of oil with flames burning their feet.
Chief Sinners: Many clergy and popes, especially Pope Nicholas the Third
For Diviners Astrologers, and Magicians They must walk forever with their heads
facing backwards. Fitting because they wanted to look ahead and beyond in life, they are
forced to forever look back.
Chief sinner: Tiresias, Wizard who changed from a man to a woman.
For Barrators (those who betray a ship owner, or rightful owner of borrowed
property) They are forced under shipping tar by demons. Fitting because they are now
buried in the tar of the ships they misused.
Chief Sinner: Fra Gomita, would steal his masters gold and consort with his enemies.
For the Hypocrites They walk in circles with beautiful robes, but the inside is of lead.
Fitting because they make look beautiful, but the lead on the inside weighs on them just as
their falsity secretly weighs on them.
Chief Sinners: Catalano and Loderingo, started a civil war based on their meddling in
Florence's affairs.
For the Thieves They are constantly searching for a home for their soul, because their
bodies are constantly stolen and manipulated by snakes. Fitting because they stole in life,
and had no respect for property, and are condemned to such a fate.
Chief Sinner: Vanni Fucci, for stealing a "scarcity" He later curses God.
For Fraudulent Councillors They are contained within flames shaped like tongues,
because the advice they give is false and incorrect.
Chief Sinners: Ulysses and Diomedes, both for fraud during the Trojan war. Guido for
giving advice on how to defeat the pope's enemies, for which he was promised salvation
(an impossibility)
For the Sowers of Scandal They are forced to walk in a circle and sliced open when
they reach the beginning and re-heal as they walk around only to be cut again.
Chief sinner: Mohammed
For the Falsifiers Of metals - plagued with scratchy scabs.
Counterfeiters of other people - Turn on each other like animals.
Of coins - mingle with the counterfeiters of people
Chief Sinners : Myrrah, disguised herself as her mother to sleep with her father
Ninth Circle
-Ring OneNinth Circle
-Ring TwoNinth Circle
-Ring ThreeNinth Circle
-Ring FourTHE BOTTOM
OF HELL
Upper and
Lower Hell
Main Difference
Caina (after Cain); For Traitors of Kin. Frozen in the lake up to their heads, teeth
chattering. Fitting because cold and lack of movement mean a lacking of soul, which is
needed, according to Dante, for a sacred betrayal.
Chief Sinner: Bocca, an Italian Traitor, Dante tears out some of his hair.
Antenora For traitors to country or party. Chief Sinners: Ugolino, who eats the head of
Ruggieri, for imprisoning him and his sons. Fitting because his rage that consumed him
in life is now never satiated by the eating of his head.
Ptolomea For Traitors against Benefactors
They are closest of all to Lucifer's cold wind wings.
Judecca for
In Lucifer’s three mouths are: Brutus, Cassius, and Judas (in the middle)
Upper Hell, is where sins of Lost of Control are punished, such as lust and gluttony
Lower Hell is where the sins that require Personal Choice Take Place. These are
separated by the river Styx, where the wrathful and sullen are punished