Dante’s Inferno

SUMMARY-Dante dscribes an undefined forest, then a hill light by the spring sunshine. So Dante tries to climb the hill, but three beast stop him. in ally the shaw of Virigl appears to tell him to overcome the beasts, Dante must travel through hell. The entire description presented through images resembling the logic of a dream Characters: Dante Alighieri, Virigl, Wolf, Leopard, Lion SYMBOLISM Wold=avarice or greed leopard= fraudulence lion=pride

SUMMARY-After the invocation to the Muses, Dante begins the narrative. He first has to clear his doubts about the validity of this journey, for he fears that he may be heading for failure. Virigl assures him that the journey is favored by the three heavenly ladies, the Virgil Mary, St. Lucia, and Beatrice. The latter summoned Virigl to go out of Limbo and rescue Dante from the three beasts CHARACTERS- Dante Alighieri, Virgil

SUMMARY- Dante enters the Gates of Hell. He finds himself in a vestibule, the area reserved for the souls of those who never made any decisions, the Neutrals. These people are best described as cowards and not good enough t one in heaven but not bad enough to be in Hell. Dante reaches the shore of the first infernal River, Acheron. Here Charon picks up the damned who keep falling down to ferry them to other side, to Hell Characters- Dante, Virgil, Charon Important Note-WHen Dante and Virigl enter the gates of hell they see an inscription that says "abandon hope all ye who enter here"

SUMMARY: First Circle of Hell:Limbo. This is the place for the souls of those who were good but did not know Christ, because they came before him. Here Dante encounters ancient philosophers. The most important episode is when Dante and Virgil are joined by four ancient poets: Homer, Horace, Ovid, Lucan. Together they talk about poetry CHARACTERS-Dante, Virigl, Homer, Horace, Ovid, Lucan SIN-The unbaptized and pre-christians CONTRAPASSO-An eternal life with a constant and unfulfilled longing for God

SUMMARY: second circle of hell. Captured attention of many scholars since Dante's times, mainly because Dante finds here among the lustful: Francesca da Rimini. Among other sinners THEME: courtly love CHARACTERS: Dante, Virgil. Cleopatra, Achilles, Francesca SIN-committed sins of the flesh (sex/cheaers) CONTRAPASSO: because these people coulnt control their physical urges a storm controls their whole life (blown around in a raging storm)

SUMMARY: Third circle of Hell: The Gluttonous: the setting of the third circle is again visual and graphical: heavy, steady rain, hail and snow. It is monotonous never ending and weakens the souls to the extent that they lay down because they have no strength to rise. This monotony becomes an obsession. Dante talks to Ciacco, florentine, who predicts Dante's upcoming exile. Cerberus,a three headed dog is the guardian of the circle CHARACTERS- Dante, Virgil, Ciacco Sin- excessive pursuing pleasure in overabundance CONTRAPASSO: Get rained on by sewage while Cerberus attacks them

SUMMARY: Fourth circle: the avaricious and Prodigal. These sinners push huge rocks in opposite direction. The demon Plutus stands as the guardian of the circle. The second part of the canto describes the descent into a marshland, the river Stix, where the wrathful are visible and the sullen are submerged by the water CHARACTERS: Dante, Virgil, Plutus, Fortuna SIN: being I'mpurdent with money or material goods CONTRAPASSO: these sinners must push rocks in opposite directions until they meet and then the process repeats

SUMMARY: Fifth circle and the City of Dis. This canto has 2 sections: the conclusion of the representation of the Wrathful and the Sullen, which includes the poet's encounter with Filippo Argenti; the second part of the canto describes the presentation of the city of Dis. Tis city is modeled after medieval cities, surrounded by walls, with the gates to allow people in and out CHARACTERS: Dante, Virgil SIN-those who are aggressive or sullen CONTRAPASSO: the wrathful fight on the muddy bank and the icele gargle and chock on black mud

SUMMARY: The City of Dis-Entrance into Lower Hell. The major characteristic of this canto is the confrontation between Dante and the forces of evil. They are represented by the demons that invoke Medusa whose evil power is so powerful that anyone that looks at her is changed into stone. When everything seems lost, A messenger from Heaven comes and opens ithe gate of Dis. Dante and Virgil enter the city and find thesemves into a huge cemetery CHARACTERS: Virgil, DANTE SIN-Heresy CONTRAPASSO-burn in a tomb for eternity

SUMMARY: Sixth Circle: The Heretics (Epicureans): they are placed into open tombs. the main characters are: Farinate degli Uberti and Cavalcante die Cavalcanti THEMES: 1) Farinata's prediction of Dante's difficulty in returning to Florence from exile 2) Cavalcante's misunderstanding of Dante's remark on his son, the poet Guido 3) inability of the damned to see the present, although they ca foresee the future CHARACTERS: Dante, Cavalcante, Farinata SIN: Heresy (believer who has religious opinions contrary to those accepted by the Catholic church) CONTRAPASSO: they burn in a tomb for eternity

SUMMARY: The structure of Hell. Still in the sixth circle. Digression on the physical and moral division of Hell. It is a programmatic canto in which Dante outlines the Aristotelian conception of sins into the 3 categories: Incontinence, Violence and fraud

SUMMARY: Seventh circle, first ring. Violent Against others. the mythical monster who guards the circle is the Minotaur who being half human and half beast symbolizes lower hell. Also we find the Centaurs, mythical creatures-half man half horse--They characterize the first section of the seventh circle. They are led by Chiron who orders Nessus to guide Dante and Virgil across the boiling river of blood, the Phlegethon. In this river of boiling blood we find Tyrants and Murderers; they are punished by the arrows of the Centaurs CHARACTERS: Dante, Virgil SIN: Violence against Others CONTRAPASSO: those who spilled another's blood now must bathe in it for eternity and gel pelted by the arrows of centaurs

SUMMARY: Seventh Circle, second ring First Zone: Violent Against Self (suicides, squanderers). The setting is made up of a dreary wood populated by the Harpies. The suicides have been transformed into strange trees. The Squanderers on the other hand are hounded and ripped apart by horehounds. The main characters are Pier dell Vigne among the suicides. He was a notary at the court of Frederick II, was accused of treason and jailed. He killed himself because he couldn't the shame of being in prison. CHARACTERS: Pier delle Vigne SIN: Suicide CONTRAPASSO: turned into trees and pecked at by Harpies (half woman, half bird)

SUMMARY: Seventh Circle, third ring. the main character of this canto is Capaneus, great example of the nature of hell's punishment. Hell is internal suffering. In the second part of the canto Virigl tells Dante the myth of the Old Man of Crete, a grotesque statue, whose streaming eyes form the rivers of Hell, Acheron, Phlegethon, Styx and Cocytus Characters: Capaneus SIN: Violent against God CONTRAPASSO: eternal fire from the heavens

SUMMARY: Seventh circle, third ring. Thirs Zone: Violent against Nature. Centers on Brunetto Latini. Souls endlessly running throughout the fiery sands. Bruenetto Latini had been chancellor of Florence and also Dante's mentor and teacher in his early life. CHARACTERS: Brunetto Latini SIN: Violent against Nature CONTRAPASSO: Endlessly running throughout the fiery sands beneath the rain of fire

SUMMARY-Still in the third ring of the seventh circle. These are the Sodomites (homosexual). Theme: decadence of the city of Florence. This canto ends with the river Phlegethon cascading into the next zone. Virigl summons a monstrous figure and uses Dante's belt as a bait to entice it to come Characters: Guido Guerra, Tegghiaio Aldombrandino, Jacop Rusticucci SIN: Violence against God CONTRAPASSO: rain of heavenly fire

SUMMARY: passage from the seventh circle to the eight circle on the back of Geryon. As Virgil is coming to an agreement with the monster, Dante encounters the Userers, who are seated beneath the rain of fire with a purse- beating the family's heraldic emblem-around they rbecks. the canto ends with the descent into the eight circle

SUMMARY: the eight circle is called Malebolge (evil pouches, or ditches) this place is reserved to the sin of fraud. This canto deals with the first two ditches: 1) Panderers, who are scourge dby horned demonds. Dante here sees Venedico Caccianemico and Jason. The sec on ditch is reserved for 2) Flatterers who are immersed in exrements. Sees Alessio Interminei and Thais (myth) SIN: 1st pouch: Panderers--> uses people for sexual inetercourse 2nd pouch: Flattery CONTRAPASSO: 1st pouch (seducers)-forced to run back and forth within their ditch and are whipped by horned demons 2nd pouch: flatterers immersed in ar iver of poop.whic is supposed to represent their words

SUMMARY: Third ditch of the eighth circle. this section is reserved from Simonists, those who bough and sold sacred objects and positions. These sinners are set heads down in the rock, with their feet coming out of the hold tormented by flames. Main character: Pope Nicholas III, who refers to Pope Boniface VIII and Pope Clement V. Corruption of the church Characters: Pope Nicholas III, Pope Boniface and Pope Clement V SIN: Simony:selling church positions CONTRAPASSO: bured upside down and set on fire

SUMMARY: Fourth ditch of the eight circle. Diviners. These souls their heads backward. It is th slaw of retribution applied to them: now they can only see backward while in their lives they believed to see ahead in the future. Amonng the characters: Manta, his native city Mantua explains this. SIN: Diviners and Magicians, Astrologers CONTRAPASSO-Head twisted backwards mute and forced to walk around the circle forever

SUMMARY: Eighth circle, fifth ditch. The Barrators. thees sinners are plunged into boiling pitch and guarded by winged demons armed with pitchforks and prongs. In canto 21 a new magistrate has just arrived from the city of Lucca. Ten demons are in charge over these sinners and led by Malacoda (evil tail) who is the chief of Malebranche (evil claws). Episode continues in canto 22 with Ciampolo of Navarre in a contest, and outsmarts the winged demons. Dante and Virgil are abused by the devils who like the sinners in this section are untrustworthy SIN: BARRATORS (sells political favors for money or acquiring money by abusing political power) CONTRAPASSO: thrown into a river of boiling pitch and guarded by flying demonds with grappling hooks and barbs

SUMMARY: end of the fifth ditch: the demons, scorned by Ciampolo fight against each other. Then they chase the two poets. Virgil helps Dante by using him down the Sixth Ditch where the Hypocrites walk slowly in a long file clothes in caps of led. Two Jovial Friars of Bologna, Catalano and Loderigo are among these sinners. Caiaphas is stretched down in the figure of a cross with the others walking over him. Also in this canto Virgil expresses his distress at Malacoda's deceitfulness SIN: Hypocrites CONTRPASSO: forced to march wearing robes are beautiful on the outside but are limed with lead

SUMMARY: Hard passage to the Seventh Ditch and presentation of the Thieves. One of them, Vanni Fucci is bitten by a serpent turns into ashes and is rested. Vanni predicts the defeat of the Whites, Dante's political party at Pistoia. Canto 25: Vanni Fucci's episodes concludes with his obscene gesture against God. Other characters in canto 25 include the centaur Cacus and five florentines, three of them human, two of them serpents. The episode end with the astounding metamorphoses undergone by four of them. SIN: Theft CONTRAPASSO: tormented by serpents whose bite causes the body to spontaneously combust, but to regenerate shortly thereafter

SUMMARY: Eighth circle, eighth ditch: The Fradulent Counselors are clothes in the flames that burn them. On elf these flames, with two points is shared by Ulysses and Diomedes. The canto's main interest is in Ulysses' account of his last days. He is presented as a defeated hero, who searches knowledge but ends in defeated because he is backed spiritual means.. He seeks knowledge for knowledge;s sack CHARACTERS: Ulysses SIN: Fraudulent Counselors CONTRAPASSO: burning forever in a single eternal flame

SUMMARY: eighth circle, ninth ditch. The Sower of Scandal and Schism. Continually walking by, wounded by demonds with swords and after healing they are wounded again. Here Dante recognizes many and talks to some. The poetry of horror returns. one sinner is holding a severed head like a lantern. (Beltran de Bornio) SIN: sowers of scandal and schism CONTRAPASSO: cut and mutilated by a demonds aword

SUMMARY: Still the eighth circle, eight ditch: the Fradulent Counselors. After Ulysses takes his leave, Dante hears the story of Guido da Montefeltro, who gives the poet the oppurnity to talk about political affairs of ROmagna. Guideo tells how he, being a master of deceit was deceived by Pope Bonifcae VIII wh absolved him of a sin he was about to commit. This leads to a dispute between St. Francis and a devil over Guido's soul. The devil wins and takes over his earthly body

SUMMARY: lastt section of the eighth circle: after the episode with Geri del Bello, a cousin of Dante, the poets see the Falsifiers, divided into groups: 1) Flasifiers of Mtals (alchemists) in canto 29 canto 30 2) falsifers iof persons; Gianni Schicchi and Myrrah 3) falsifiers of coins makes up the third group with Master Adam and 4) Falsifiers of Words (liars) Sinon the Greek. The scene resembles a huge hospital as all sinners show a sign of illness CHARACTERS: Geri del Bello, Gianni SChicchi, Myrrah, Sinon the Greek SIN- Falsifers of Metels, Person, coins, words CONTRAPASSO: punished by afflictions of every sense darkness, stench, filfth, diseases and shrieking din

SUMMARY Passage to the ninth circle. The lowest section of hell located in the last river, the frozen Cocytus. In this canto we have a presentation of the Giants, who characterize the last circle One of them Antheus complies with Virgil's request and lowers the two poets on the surface of the frozen river. the ninth circle is divided into four sections SIN: traitors CONTRAPASSO: dependent on section

SUMMARY: ninth circle, first ring called cain a. Here are the traitors of their kins, immersed in ice, heads bent down. among them is Carmiscione die Pazzi. the second ring, called ANtenora contrains the traitors of their country. Dante approaches Bocca degl Abati, who is reluctant to reveal his identity. the canto ends with the revolting sight f two sinners stud to ether, one devouring the other's head Characters: Carmiscione dei Pazzi SIN: traitors to kin and they country CONTRAPASSO: Kin-bureied in ice from the neck down, but can move their necks Country-buried in ice from the beck down, but cannot move their necks

SUMMARY-Nonth circle, second and third rings. Count Ugolino tells the story of his and his sons' death in a Pisan prison and he blames the archbishop Ruggeri (the one whose head he eats) for his fate. His take is followed by Dante's inventive against Pisa. The third ring, Ptolomea holds the traitors against their guests. Their heads come out of the ice and their eyes are sealed by frozen tears. Here Dante sees two sinners, Fra ALberigo and Branca Doria, who are still alive but already in Hell. CONTRAPASSO: Guests-only half on their faces are out of the ice and their tears freeze inside their eye socket

SUMMARY: Enf go Inferno. First part: court ring of the ninth circle, Judecca, site of Traitors of masters. they are fully covered by ice. at the center of the frozen lake is Lucifer, the emperor of the kingdom of Hell (satan). This giant monster has three faces, with its three mouths chewing three sinners: Juda, Brutus and Cassius. His six wings generate the ice breeze that freezes the Cocytus. Dante and Virgil descend through lucifer's body to thte southern hemisphere. Then they climb up to exit the darkness and see the morning CONTRAPASSO: chewed in Satan's mouth for betraying masters