Canto XVIII

Canto XVIII

Summary-

Dante and Virgil reach the ten Malebolges, or evil ditches, at the end of the eight circle of hell. Here they see there are ten trenches dug into the ground where people of different sins live. Dante and Virgil reach the first pit that is filled with the Panderers or pimps and the Seducers. Dante sees that the souls have to run back forth from one side of the pit to the other, and once they reach the end of the pit, demons holding whips hit the souls to force them to run to the other side of the pit. Dante recognizes Venedico Caccianemico of Bologna in the pit and talks to him learning why he was sent to the pit. We learn that the Italian lived in Bologna and was sent to the pit because he sold his own sister to a nobleman. Dante and Virgil also see the famous Jason. Jason was the one from mythology who abandoned Medea after she helped him find the Golden Fleece. Dante and Virgil reach the second pit. The pit is filled with human waste and urine and the sinners squirm in. The sinners in this pit are the Flatterers. Dante notices a soul in the pit, Alessio Interminelli da Lucca, then leaves the pit disgusted from the odor. Dante and Virgil walk towards the third pit.

Important Quotes-

“Searching it with my eyes / I saw one there whose head was so befouled / With shit, you couldn’t tell which one he was” (XVIII.106–108). This quote shows Dante leaving the classical style of writing of Virgil that Dante tries to emulate.

Sins-

         In the first pit Dante and Virgil visit it is filled with the sinners of the Panderers, aka pimps, and the Seducers. The people who trick women for their own well-being. In the second pit Dante visits it is filled with the sinners of the Flatterers.

Punishment for Sins-

         The Panderers and Seducers in the first pit had to run from one side of the pit to the other, and when the reach the ridge of the pit they get whipped by demons. The Flatterers in the second pit have to bathe in human sewage and urine.

Link to Contrapasso-

         The Panderers and Seducers lived their life running from one potential buyer to the next. Using women for their own financial gain. So for their punishment they have to run from one side to the other by the whip’s of the demons. The Flatterers lived their whole life wallowing in false flattery so now they wallow in human sewage and filth.

Characters-

Venedico Caccianemico of Bologna- Sold his own sister Ghisolabella to the nobleman Marquis Obbizo de Este of Ferrara.

Jason- A mythological figure. He was a prince that leads the Argonauts to get the Golden Fleece with the help of Medea, but in the end abandons Medea.

Alessio Interminelli da Lucca- from a noble family, not much known.

Thais- she received a slave as a gift from her lover, but she thanked him so much and said she loved him so much that her thankfulness was beyond belief.

Discussion Questions

1.   What other way do you think Dante could have given the Panderers and Flatters a punishment to express contrapasso.

2.   Some critics of Dante find it startling that Jason is found so deep in Hell since he is such a famous mythological figure, what do you think?

3.   Do you think Flattery should be a sin that is punished this deep in hell? If so why?

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What are the Malebolges?

a)        Demons

b)        Centaurs

c)         Evil ditches

d)        Angels

2. What part of hell are they located at?

e)         Ninth circle

f)         Seventh circle

g)        Third circle

h)        Eighth circle

3. Who are the sinners at the first pit?

i)         Rapist

j)         Murderers

k)        Greedy people

l)         Panderers

4. who whips the Panderers?

m)       Centaurs

n)        Furries

o)         Demons

p)        all of the above

5. Who are the sinners in the second pit?

q)        Rapist

r)         Murderers

s)         Flatterers

t)         Seducers

6. What do the wallow in?

u)        Mud

v)         Sea water

w)        coal

x)        human sewage

7. Which mythological figure does Dante see in the first pit?

y)        Hercules

z)         Poseidon

aa)      Jason

bb)      Achilles

8. What is Thais guilty of?

cc)       Panderer

dd)      Seducers

ee)       Flatterer

ff)       Rapist

9. How many pits are there?

gg)      10

hh)      9

ii)       8

jj)        7

10. What kind of odor do Dante and Virgil smell?

kk)      Pleasent

ll)        Mellow

mm)    Perfume

nn)     Disgusting

 The Divine Comedy: Inferno. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Nov. 2012. <http://www.cliffsnotes.com/study_guide/literature/divine-comedy-inferno/summary-analysis/canto-xviii.html>.

Inferno. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Nov. 2012. <http://www.sparknotes.com/poetry/inferno/section8.rhtml>.