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>.

Canto XXVII

Canto XXVII

Summary-

This canto starts with Virgil and Dante being stopped by another soul after hearing the Ulysses’ story. Dante compares the sound this soul makes to a medieval brass bull that was a torture device. The soul is in so much pain that at first Dante cant even understand what he is saying, but eventually the soul makes out his words. We find out the soul lived in Romagna, a region in Italy. The soul asks how his home town is. Dante tells him that Romagna is suffering under tyranny and violence. Dante then asks what the soul’s name is. The soul hesitates at first but thinking that Dante will never leave Hell to tell everyone of his sin he eventually tells him. He states his name as Guido da Montefeltro and that he was apart of the Ghibellines. Guido then goes on to tell his life story. We find out that at first he was a soldier, then had an empfany and changed his ways and became a friar under the Franciscan order. Then Pope Boniface VII convinces Guido to comeback to politics but on the opposite side this time. Boniface at one point asked him how to take over Palestrina. Guido at first didn’t want to, but the Pope promised to give him absolution so Guido gave in. When Guido died St. Francis came for him to full fill the absolution but a devil snatched him saying his absoultion was contradictory. The devil took him to Minos and Minos set him here to the eighth pouch of the eighth cirlce of hell.

Sins-

         Same as Canto 26, the sinners in this canto are the fraudulent or evil counselors, people who used their power, influence, and intellect for evil.

Punishment for Sins-

         Same as Canto 26. Their punishment is that they have to walk around wearing clothes on fire or basically being completely engulfed by fire.

Link to Contrapasso-

         Same as Canto 26. The link to contrapasso is that maybe the flames that encase the souls are symbolic of their guilty conscience burning them from the outside to inside instead of their conscience gnawing away at you from the inside.

Characters-

Guido da Montefeltro.- He was a soldier then turned priest, then the pope convinced him to comeback to politics and become his counselor. He gave the advice, which turned out to be wrong about taking over Palestrina. A devil prevented St. Francis from taking him to heaven, and Minos sent him to the eighth pouch of the eighth circle of hell. See Canto summary for more in depth.

Discussion Questions

1.   Why do you think Dante set aside a whole canto to tell the story of Guido da Montefeltro?

2.   Do you think Dante committed fraud by getting Guido to tell his sins by seeming like he was a soul that lived in hell?

3.   Do you think Guido da Montefeltro deserved to go to hell?

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What pouch are Dante and Virgil at?

a)        third

b)        sixth

c)         eighth

d)        ninth

2. Where is Guido da Montefeltro from?

e)         Seville

f)         Sienna

g)        Rome

h)        Romagna

3. What are the sinners engulfed by?

i)         Toxic smoke

j)         Boiling Tar

k)        Insects and Bugs

l)         Fire

4. Which party was Guido da Montefeltro orginally a part of?

m)       Guelphs

n)        Republic

o)         Separatists

p)        Ghibellines

5. Who are the sinners in this pouch?

q)        Murderers

r)         Evil counselors

s)         Fraudulent Counselors

t)         Both r and s

6. Which pope persuaded Guido da Montefeltro?

u)        Pope St Pius

v)         Pope John IV

w)        Pope Boniface VIII

x)        Pope John Smith

7. What monastery was Guido da Montefeltro apart of?

y)        Separatists

z)         Epicureans

aa)      Franciscans

bb)      Christians

8. What was Guido da Montefeltro orginally?

cc)       Soldier

dd)      Friar

ee)       Baker

ff)       Priest

9. Which Saint came to bring him to heaven after Guido da Montefeltro died?

gg)      St. Lucas

hh)      St. Francis

ii)       St. Mary

jj)        St. Smith

10. What prevented Guido da Montefeltro from going to Heaven?

kk)      Devil

ll)        Furies

mm)    Centaurs

nn)     Minos

 The Divine Comedy: Inferno. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Nov. 2012. <http://www.cliffsnotes.com/study_guide/literature/divine-comedy-inferno/summary-analysis/canto-xxvi-xxvii.html>.

Inferno. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Nov. 2012. <http://www.sparknotes.com/poetry/inferno/section11.rhtml>.