In The Inferno of Dante Alighieri, nine circles make up Hell; Circle one being the least punishment, to Circle nine being the greatest punishment. In the beginning circles many famous heroes and poets reside, but deep down in the heart of Hell, the violent and the traitors dwell. With great reasoning, it shows obvious that Dante put specific people in certain circles for his hatred or pity of them. Dante’s Inferno forms from biases, and as the circles of Hell are analyzed his reasoning and biases will shine through the darkness of Hell.
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Limbo, the first circle of Hell houses poets and worthy figures. They were placed here because they died before hearing the word of Christ and being baptized. Virgil explains “they did not pay the lord his due respect…and for these faults, not for any other defect [they] are lost” (IV, 38-41). Dante feels pity for these characters and “his heart seized with sadness” (IV, 43). He knew they didn’t deserve this and even asks Virgil “by merit, was there ever any person freed from here?” (IV, 49-50). Virgil tells Dante of the Harrowing of Hell, where Jesus releases the souls of the patriarchs. The souls here in Limbo chase around a blank banner to symbolize the nothingness they pursued in their life because they did not have the guidance of God, while being stung by wasps. The figures in this part of Hell do not deserve this punishment, but their failure to worship the Christian God lands them in this hopeless and eternal damnation. Dante does not wish to put these great and honorable men in Hell, but since he has no choice, the outskirts of Hell is the fit for their souls. And even though many of them were Dante’s role model or had some sort of strong influence on him, he feels less sympathy and cares less of their virtue, because he damns anyone who fails to follow the Christian God. Dante and Virgil then depart and descend down into the second circle of hell, the circle of lust. Dante’s biases become clearer when Cleopatra and Francesca & Paolo appear in this circle. Again, Dante feels unbearable pity for these souls and even finds a soul to speak to him about their story and how it progressed. Francesca & Paolo had a story that touches his emotions and reminds him of his own love, Beatrice. Dante says, “All your torments make me weep with grief and pity” (V, 116-117). He feels terribly sorry for them because they died for love, something he was not able to share with the one he loved. He did not see any problem in the circumstances for them being killed. Francesca married Paolo’s brother and cheated on him with Paolo, who was married, and out of anger, they were killed by Palo’s brother. On the other hand we see Cleopatra spending her time in the Circle of Lust. Cleopatra’s death was by suicide, a self inflicted bite by the Venomous European Asp. Truly, she should be in the second precinct of Circle seven, Violence against thy self. However, it is arguable that she was placed in this circle because Dante’s role model was Julius Caesar. Cleopatra was involved with him and had his son, which probably landed her in Circle two. Dante admires the Romans, especially Julius Caesar, and many of his placements are based on this admiration. As Dante gets ready to leave the Lust Circle he had “wept so much [he] fainted. All of [him] was overwhelmed by [the] stroke of pity; and [he] fell, as a dead body falls” (V, 140-142). A horrific stench fills the air as Dante enters the gluttony of Circle Three. In this circle Dante meets Ciacco, who gives him his first prophecy and the first conversation about Florentine politics. Ciacco tells Dante of the White Party taking power on May1, 1300, but a few years later the Black Party will once again rule and exile many members of the White Party, including Dante. Dante explains how Ciacco’s “condition fills [his] eyes with tears, no matter what [the] sins” (VI, 58-59). Dante then asks of the whereabouts of some of his political enemies, and Ciacco replies “they are amongst the blackest sinners, booted into deeper pits, for darker crimes” (VI, 85-87). Upon hearing this Dante goes into a pensive mood and starts wondering of the suffering of these men, but nonetheless into Circle Four their journey continued.
As they enter Circle Four, Dante cries out at what he sees. He becomes filled “with heartfelt pain” (VII, 36), until he finds out whom they are. They are the hoarders and squanderers. Virgil explains that they are corrupt clergyman, popes, and cardinals; men of the church who Dante hate. Together with the Black Party, it was the church that exiled Dante from his beloved town of Florence. Next they descend into the Wrath of Circle Five. Here lie the men of wrath and sullen. Of the wrathful fighting above the river Styx, guarded by phlegyas, Dante sees Filippo Argenti, a political enemy of his. Before Dante leaves he tells Virgil, “O Master, great is my desire to see this arrogant bastard dunked in swill” (VIII, 52-53). Virgil feels proud that Dante finally accepts that these men caused themselves to be in Hell and they deserve the punishment they are getting. And as promised, Dante sees Filippo ripped apart; thanking God as he fills with delight. From this point onward we begin to see Dante’s feelings shift from pity to hatred, and as he progresses deeper into Hell, we see figures who were his political enemies. He took advantage of them being in Hell and amused himself with their pain and agony. In the Heretics of Circle Six, Dante meets another of his political enemies. However, this encounter unfolds much more politely. A punishment of the Heretics, the ability to only see in the future. And from Farinata degli Uberti, Dante receives his second prophecy. He predicts Dante’s exile from Florence and says, “To myself, my forebears, and my party your family were bitterly opposed; and twice I did expel them from the city” (X, 46-48). Dante finds a connection with this Ghibelline because his own party had split and the opposing side exiled his party including him. Dante’s feelings are neutral here and when he descends into Circle Seven, we see more of Dante’s biases.
In theses last circles of Lower Hell, we see a lacking of Roman people. Filled mainly with Greeks, who Dante hate, his political enemies, including popes, and traitors, with the worst punishment to those who betrayed his idol, Julius Caesar.
In the first precinct of Circle Seven we see a “river of blood; and in it boil all those who have by force, assaulted others” (XII, 47-48). This river contains men such as Alexander the Great and Attila the Hun. The head Centaur of this group, Chiron, known for his training of many Greek heroes. There seems to be no Romans boiling in this Hell River. This Hell belongs to Dante and he has the right to put who he wants where, and as we see who appears in each circle it shows he took advantage of that right. As he navigates to the lower levels of Circle Seven, he sees those who committed violence against themselves and encounters one of the souls when he rips one of their limbs off. The soul tells Dante a little of the history of Florence. As the journey continues Dante reaches those violent against nature. From Brunetto Latini, Dante learns that he will be rewarded for his heroic political actions. Dante, however, brushes it off and Virgil commends him for such an attitude as he says, “He bears the best who pays the closest heed” (XV, 99). Dante feels his last bit of pity when he recalls some men who were charred past recognition, and with that he continues on through the last precinct and into circle eight. Virgil leads Dante through the Panderers, seducers, and flatterers. In the third pouch of Circle eight, the Simonies, he meets Pope Nicholas III who mistakes Dante for Boniface. After clearing up the misunderstanding, Nicholas tells Dante his story. Dante in returns says “so stay you here in your inverted pose for you are justly punished.” (XIX, 97-98) Dante feels no pity for the Pope and believes he deserved this punishment for what he has done. Dante’s opposes the Catholic Church and here we see much of his personal resentment to the church. In the fourth pouch, Dante finds the magicians and diviners. At first he feels pity and grief, but Virgil rebukes him for showing such compassion to these sinners. Continuing on, in the sixth ditch Dante stumbles upon the High Priest Caiphus who ordered the crucifixion of Jesus. Caiphus, labeled a hypocrite, must bear all the sins of the hypocrites. He spends his eternity crucified to the ground of Circle Eight. In the seventh ditch Vanni fucci identifies himself to Dante and tells him of the White Party suffering a defeat at Pistoia. He also begs Dante to not spread his story on Earth out of shame. In ditch eight we see the hero Ulysses or to the Greeks, Odysseus. He believed Odysseus to be an enemy to Rome ,and since Dante favors Rome, Ulysses must perish deep in Hell. Guido da Montefeltro said to have had confessed and was saved by Boniface. However, Dante holds him to his sin because he does not believe in confession and the corruption of Boniface flows over too much to absolve any sin. Dante does not see repenting as something that works from the Catholic Church. He believes in moral decision making and people should follow their own reasoning rather than blindly follow the Church direction. The last ditches of Circle Eight contain corrupt Florentines who for example, forged money, lied and falsified themselves. In Ditch nine some men ask Dante to tell their story, but due to religious reasons, Dante said no without second guess. Dante and Virgil now plunge into the deepest and darkest part of Hell, Circle nine.
Circle nine houses all the traitors. Here we see Dante place these men closer and closer to the Devil, until finally placing three, right in the mouth of the Devil himself. These men bear the worst of the sins in Dante’s Hell and suffer, not the burn of Hell, but the freezing blast of the Devil’s flapping wings. We can see strongly see Dante’s biased Hell when light sheds itself on the three men that are gnawed on day and night by the mouth of the Devil.
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The first zone of the Ninth Circle serve home to those who betray their family, therefore the circle is named, Caina, after Cain who killed his brother Abel. While walking on the iced lake Dante accidentally kicks a sinners head. This head happens to be that of Bocca degli Abati, a traitor of Italy. At first he does not want to reveal his identity to Dante, so Dante “yanked good few fistfuls of [his hair] out” (XXXII, 103), this does not sway the traitor, but a fellow traitor next to him spills the beans and asks, “What’s the matter, Bocca?” (XXXII, 106). Next was the second zone, Antenora, traitors of their country. Here, laid frozen, was Count Ugolino. Ugolino began to rub shoulders with Archbishop Ruggieri, and in order to gain supreme authority, turned against his grandson. With him out of the way Ugolino had a straight shot to power, but “through [Ruggieri’s] evil machinations [he], who trusted him, was taken brutally and subsequently killed.” (XXXIII, 16-18) Dante did not pity him because in order to obtain his own selfish ends, he betrayed his grandson, his own kin of his own party, and now must endure the consequences he received on Earth and in Hell. Also in this zone Dante places the souls of the still living men, Fra Albergio and Branca d’Oria. Dante wants the gravity of their sins to be known. And it adds a bit humor to the mood before facing Lucifer in the fourth zone. Onward through the third zone, Ptolomea, traitors to their guests, Dante and Virgil land in the Fourth Zone of Circle Nine. This Zone bears the label Judecca, The zone of Judas, and here lies the traitors to their benefactors, Judas, Brutus, and Cassius. These men are dubbed the greatest sinners of human history. Rome, to Dante, was the sovereign city. Jesus’ church was centered in Rome, and Dante saw that Church as the ideal manifestation of religion. Judas Iscariot betraying Jesus landed him head first in the Devil’s mouth. Brutus and Cassius, betrayers of Julius Caesar, landing in the Devil’s mouth with their head out, raises the issue of Julius being a great benefactor. However, Dante feels that Caesar was the perfect manifestation of secular government, as the emperor of Rome at the height of its power. Brutus and Cassius serve a little less punishment, but ultimately shows how Dante believes that Church and State play and equally important role. And with that Dante completes his tour of Hell.
Dante makes his hierarchy from least powerful to most powerful, just as the sins progress through the circles. He begins with just normal citizens, then to clergymen, cardinals, popes, and finally to traitors. Many of the figures we find in the book committed more than one sin, but Dante places them in their respective circle on which sin they most embody, and he continues to put moral issues at the center of his work Throughout the Inferno Dante believes in separation of Church and State, but should remain equal, and in the last circle Dante completes his vision of moral hierarchy and makes a last stand on his political views.
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