Honors World Literature
Inferno Canto XXXIV
In the final circle of hell, Dante encounters Dis, Satan, the three-faced monster that eternally chews
on the bodies of the three most notorious traitors of Dante’s time.
Traitor Number One: Judas Iscariot. Since Dante is a devout Christian, he deems the betrayal of
Jesus by Judas the worst of all betrayals. In fact, he names the final rung in the last circle The Judecca,
after Judas. Read the passages from the Bible that describe Judas’ betrayal.
Luke 22 New International Version (NIV)
Judas Agrees to Betray Jesus
22 Now the Festival of Unleavened Bread, called the Passover, was approaching, 2 and the chief
priests and the teachers of the law were looking for some way to get rid of Jesus, for they were
afraid of the people. 3 Then Satan entered Judas, called Iscariot, one of the Twelve. 4 And Judas
went to the chief priests and the officers of the temple guard and discussed with them how he
might betray Jesus. 5 They were delighted and agreed to give him money.6 He consented, and
watched for an opportunity to hand Jesus over to them when no crowd was present.
At the Last Supper…
20
In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my
blood, which is poured out for you.[a] 21 But the hand of him who is going to betray me is with
mine on the table. 22 The Son of Man will go as it has been decreed. But woe to that man who
betrays him!” 23 They began to question among themselves which of them it might be who would
do this.
Jesus Arrested
47
While he was still speaking a crowd came up, and the man who was called Judas, one of the
Twelve, was leading them. He approached Jesus to kiss him,48 but Jesus asked him, “Judas, are
you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?”
Matthew 27 New International Version (NIV)
Judas Hangs Himself
27 Early in the morning, all the chief priests and the elders of the people made their plans how to
have Jesus executed. 2 So they bound him, led him away and handed him over to Pilate the
governor.
3
When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse
and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders. 4 “I have sinned,” he
said, “for I have betrayed innocent blood.”
“What is that to us?” they replied. “That’s your responsibility.”
5
So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself.
Traitors Number Two and Three: Marcus Brutus and Caius Cassius Since Dante is Italian, the
second worst traitors on his list are the two men who betrayed Rome’s greatest leader Julius Caesar.
Those men are Brutus and Cassius. Later, Shakespeare would write a play titled Julius Caesar which
chronicled the betrayal by these two men. Read some passages from Julius Caesar that show the men’s
treachery to their friend.
CAESAR
Et tu, Brute? Then fall, Caesar. (3.1.9)
This is one of the most famous and moving lines in literature.
After being stabbed by his so-called pals (33 times, according to Octavius in 5.1.6), Caesar looks
up at his friend and says something like "Even you, Brutus? I thought we were homies!"
CASSIUS
Why, he that cuts off twenty years of life
Cuts off so many years of fearing death.
BRUTUS
Grant that, and then is death a benefit:
So are we Caesar's friends, that have abridged
His time of fearing death. Stoop, Romans, stoop,
And let us bathe our hands in Caesar's blood
Up to the elbows, and besmear our swords: (3.1.9)
After stabbing Caesar in the back (and the guts, arms, legs, and chest), Cassius and Brutus
reason that they've done their pal a favor: now that Caesar's dead, he no longer has to worry
about dying. Then Brutus has another good idea – the conspirators should wash their hands in
their friend's blood to signal that they've freed Rome from tyranny.
BRUTUS
If there be any in this assembly, any dear friend of
Caesar's, to him I say, that Brutus' love to Caesar
was no less than his. If then that friend demand
why Brutus rose against Caesar, this is my answer:
--Not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved
Rome more. (3.2.2)
According to Brutus, his decision to assassinate Caesar came down to a choice between his love
for Rome and his love for his friend. Does Brutus's sense of patriotism justify his decision to kill
his friend?