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Date:
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Inferno Study Guide
If you know and understand the Guided Reading Questions as well the questions below, you will be in
good shape for the unit test on the Inferno 

Where was Dante Aligheri from (city and country)?

What language did Dante write in? Why was this choice different than the usual?

What significant actions happened to him in his hometown? What was the outcome for Dante?

How did Dante channel his feelings into his writing? How can the Divine Comedy be considered
protest literature?

How many parts are there to the Divine Comedy and what are they?

What number was central to the construction of the Divine Comedy and why did Dante choose
that number? Where is the number present (hint: it is present at least 4 times).

How long does Dante’s journey through Hell take? Why is the timing important?

Define allegory.

What is the surface story of Inferno? What is the symbolic story?

Who are Dante’s guides? What does each represent?

Define terza rima and know the rhyme scheme.

Define imagery and mood.

Explain the symbols from Canto I: the wood, the straight road, the little hill, and the 3 animals.

Know the sin and punishment of the Vestibule (Canto III) and explain the symbolism.

Know the sin and punishment of Circle 2 (Canto V) and explain the symbolism.

Know the sin and punishment of Circle 9 (Canto XXXIV) and explain the symbolism.
Also, be ready to read a passage from the story to analyze imagery and identify mood.
REMINDER: the completed Guided Reading Questions are to be handed in on the day of the test.