The Prologue: The General Prologue starts with a detailed account of how April's showers make flowers bloom, crops grow, birds sing, and people want to take journeys to holy places--pilgrimages. In England, people like to go to Canterbury to pray at the shrine of a saint who healed them while they were sick. The narrator tells how, in April, he is at a tavern in Southwark, preparing his pilgrimage to Canterbury. At the tavern, he runs into a large group of travelers also going to Canterbury. Soon, he has talked with each person and has become a member of their group as well. The narrator describes the physical and internal characteristics of each person in the group in great detail. The narrator promises to detail what happens to them that evening and throughout the rest of their pilgrimage. He asks the reader for forgiveness if he offends anyone (and back then, he probably offended some people). He says it's not really his fault because it's his job to detail the pilgrim's words and events exactly as they occur, even if they are offensive. The host serves dinner. The narrator describes the host. The Host says the group has been the happiest he has seen in a long time. He tells the pilgrims they should tell two tales on the way to Canterbury, and two on the way back. Whoever has the best story, as judged by the Host, wins a free dinner when they get back to his tavern. Whoever argues with the Host's decision has to pay for the entire trip. The pilgrims promise they'll abide by his rules. They all go to bed. In the morning, they start their journey. Along the way, the Host says they should draw straws to see who tells the first story. The Knight draws the shortest straw, so he goes first.
The Knight's Tale: The Duke Theseus of Athens is heading home from his invasion of Scythia, where he won a wife, Hippolyta, and a sister-in-law, Emily. Along the way, Theseus and his group come across some crying women. They beg Theseus to exact revenge on Creon, King of Thebes. Why? Creon refused to allow the women to give their husbands' a proper burial. That's a slap in the face back in the day. Theseus agrees to help the women. In the process, he wins two noble Theban hostages: cousins Palamon and Arcite. Theseus puts Palamon and Arcite in a tower next to his garden, without ransom. In early May, Emily walks in the garden to gather flowers. Palamon sees her from the window and it's love at first sight. He yells to her. Hearing this yell, Arcite comes to his cousin's side. Guess what? He seems Emily too, and yes, falls for her. They argue about who gets her (like she's some object). Arcite eventually says that it's pretty silly to fight over a lady since they'll be in the tower forever. Lucky for Arcite, he gets out of the tower. He and Theseus have a mutual friend who got Arcite released on one exception: he can't come to Athens ever again. Arcite throws a fit, and thinks Palamon has a better deal than him because he gets to see Emily every day. Palamon thinks that Arcite has it off well because he can get an army together to fight for Emily. Arcite comes to Athens disguised as a servant. He works his way to Theseus's house, become Emily's manservant. Palamon has escaped from prison. He hides in a grove of trees close to the palace. You might have guessed, but Arcite comes by the same grove. Palamon doesn't recognize him at first, but then when Arcite starts babbling about his love for Emily, Palamon figures it out and leaps out from the trees. They trash talk. Arcite challenges Palamon to a duel, saying he'll bring weapons tomorrow for Palamon so it's a fair fight. The next day, the duel. Theseus and his gang come across the two men fighting. Theseus tells them to stop. When he finds out they're Arcite and Palamon, he wants to order them to be put to death. But Hippolyta and Emily beg for mercy, Theseus reconsiders. Theseus says he's done some crazy things for love, too. Theseus says the each of them will come back in a year with one hundred soldiers and fight a joust and whoever wins gets Emily. They agree and go home to Athens. Theseus spends the year building a huge arena for the fight. The arena is complete and dedicated to Venus, Mars, and Diana. When it's time for the fight, Palamon and Arcite return to Athens, and everyone is ready to watch what goes down. The night before, Palamon, Arcite, and Emily visit different temples. Palamon prays to Venus to grant him Emily, Arcite asks Mars for victory, and Emily prays to Diana for perpetual virginity. The houst starts and a bunch of guys become POWs. In the end, Palamon is taken captive, and Arcite wins. On his victory lap, an earthquakes happens and causes Arcite to fall on the ground headfirst. Everyone thinks Arcite will recover, and they get ready for the feast to celebrate Arcite and Emily's marriage. Well, Arcite doesn't recover. He dies with Emily and Palamon by his side, using his final breath to tell Emily how wonderful Palamon is. Theseus lets Palamon marry Emily so there can be an alliance between Thebes and Athens. Theseus gives a long speech about how death is a part of the circle of life (i.e. God's plan). The story ends with a happy wedding.
The Miller's Prologue: Once the Knight is done with his tale, the narrator depicts the positive reactions of the pilgrims to his story. The Host asks the Monk to share his story next. The Miller, who is drunk, calls out that he knows a better tale that will top the Knight's. The Host tells the Miller that someone will talk first. The Miller says he will leave if he doesn't get to talk. The Host finally lets the Miller talk. The Miller tells everyone he is drunk and it's not his fault, but the fault of the ale of Southwark. He proceeds to say that he's going to tell a story about a carpenter and his wife, and how a clerk makes a fool out of the carpenter. The Reeve (carpenter) tells the Miller it's a sin to make fun of another and to speak badly about wives. The Miller tells the Reeve that the only people who don't get cheated on are the ones who don't have wives. Sound advice. Although, he says, the Reeve hasn't been cheated on because there are also many good wives. The Miller says that he has a wife, but he believes she's cheated on him. He says a husband shouldn't question the relationship of God or of his wife. The narrator interrupts to talk about how the Miller won't stop talking, pretty much that he's rather annoying. The narrator says not to be mad at him for telling such a raunchy story and that you can turn the pages to find better stories.
The Miller's Tale: The carpenter, John, lives in Oxford with his much younger wife, Alisoun, who is beautiful. To make a little more money, John rents out a room in his house to a poor, but smart, scholar named Nicholas, who obviously wants to have sex with Alisoun. Another scholar, Absolon, the parish clerk, also wants to have sex with her. John takes a day trip to a nearby town. While he's gone, Nicholas convinces Alisoun to have sex with him. The affair begins. Soon after, Alisoun goes to church, where Absolon is. He tries to get Alisoun to have sex with him by singing love songs under her window during the full moon. He even joins the local play to get her attention. Alisoun says no, no, no, not because she's married, but because she's having sex with Nicholas. Nicholas wants to spend a whole night with his lady, instead of a few moments when John isn't around. With Alisoun's help, he comes up with a plan. He convinces John that God is about to sent a flood, kind of like he did with Noah. He says that God told him they could be saved by hanging three huge buckets from the ceiling to sleep in. When the water rose, they would cut the ropes down and float away. John believes him and climbs into the bucket. He thinks Nicholas and Alisoun are doing the same thing, but they're obviously not. They're sleeping in John's bed. That night, Absolon comes to the window and begs Alisoun for a kiss. At first she refuses, but then supposedly gives in. Instead of sticking her lips out the window, she sticks her butt out. Absolon proceeds to kiss her butt. Angered, Absolon gets a hot poker so he can brand Alisoun. When he comes back, Nicholas sticks his butt out the window because he thinks that'd be funny, too. Absolon brands Nicholas, who yells, "Water!" because he needs something to fix the pain. John, hearing this and thinking the flood is here, buts the rope, which sends him to the floor. The townspeople hear the noise and check to see what's going on. Nicholas recites the story and they laugh at John.
The Reeve's Prologue: The narrator discusses how everyone is laughing and having a good time because of the Miller's tale, except the Reeve. The Reeve is upset because he's a carpenter. He thinks the Miller's tale is an insult to him. The Reeve says he can top the Miller's tale with a story about how a miller gets tricked, but he's too old for the sexual jokes in his story. The Reeve talks about how old he is. He says the four powers of the elderly are bragging, lying, anger, and jealousy. He says his life is almost over. The Host tells the Reeve that he's preaching too much and not story-telling enough. The Reeve asks the others to forgive him because he's going to have a raunchy tale like the Miller's. The Reeve promises to have a better story than the Miller.
The Reeve's Tale: A miller named Symkyn lives on some land by a bridge close to Cambridge. He likes to fight, carry weapons, and wrestle. Most of the townspeople avoid him, even though he cheats his customers. Symkyn married the illegitimate daughter of the local cleric, who is a proud woman. When a worker of a school in Canterbury who grinds its corn and wheat with Symkyn gets sick, Symkyn decides to cheat the school even more. Two students, Aleyn and John, ask their headmaster if they can ground the corn, thinking they can stop Symkyn from cheating them. The headmaster agrees. When they arrive at the mill, Aleyn and John tell Symkyn that they will watch the corn being ground. Symkyn realizes what they're up to and accepts the challenge. He unties the boys' horse. They have to spend the entire day looking for them, giving Symkyn the opportunity to steal flour from them. His wife bakes it into a cake and hides. Having spent the day getting their horse, the two boys spend the night at Symkyn's house. That night, Aleyn decides to have sex with Symkyn's daughter, Malyne. He thinks he deserves this since he has been cheated. John does the same thing with Symkyn's wife. John moves the cradle at the foot of her bed to his so she will mistakenly go to bed with him. At dawn, Aleyn tries to go back to his bed, but the cradle causes him to go to Symkyn's bed. Thinking that Symkyn is John, Aleyn brags how he had sex with Malyne all night. Angered, Symkyn punches Aleyn in the nose, then falls to the bed where John and his wife are sleeping. When she wakes up, she tries to help Symkyn by hitting the boys, but mistakes Symkyn's bald head for the white caps the boys wear, and hits Symkyn in the head. The boys proceed to beat Symkyn up, then pick up the cake made of stolen flour, because Malyne told Aleyn where it was.
The Cook's Prologue: The Cook loves the Reeve's tale. He talks about a moral from Proverb which says not to bring stranger's into your house. The Cook says he's never heard of a miller tricked quite like the one in the Reeve's story. The Cook says he's going to tell a story about a funny thing that happened in his city. The Host tells him it better be a good story. The Host says the Cook has been a part of dishonest cooking practices such as selling old meat pies, giving the travelers food poisoning, and keeping a dirty kitchen. The Host says, "Haha, I'm joking, don't be angry." The Cook is like, "Actually, everything you say is true, so it's not a good joke." He then tells a short, unfinished story.
The Cook's Tale: An apprentice lived in his city and his job was setting food. He was a short man, with dark skin and black hair. He was a great dancer. He loved the bar more than he did his shop, so much so, he would run out of his shop to the tavern and begin dancing, forgetting his work. One day, his master decided to fire him. The apprentice found a place to stay with a man who loved to do the same things he did. This man had a wife, who kept a shop, and had sex for a living. Then, the Cook's tale ends.
**This is obviously a fragment; it finishes before it really starts. No one really knows if Chaucer meant to leave it this way, if he didn't complete it, or if the rest has been lost.
Well, that's it for today. Tomorrow, more fun tales!
Cassy
Tuesday, July 23, 2013
Monday, July 22, 2013
Background to Chaucer and The Canterbury Tales
A lot can be said about the literary and historical contributions of Geoffrey Chaucer and The Canterbury Tales. To start with, the epic was written between the years of 1387 to 1400. The story tells about thirty pilgrims, all from different rungs of society, traveling from Southwark to the shrine of St. Thomas Becket at Canterbury Cathedral in England. The Canterbury Tales became historic in that it popularized the English vernacular by being written in the English language instead of French or Italian.
Chaucer meant for each pilgrim to have two tales on the way to Canterbury and two on the way back from the cathedral (making 120 tales in total), but he never completed the enormous project. Scholars are uncertain about the order of the tales because the printing press had not been invented yet, making many contemporary translations differ in order of tales. Many scholars call each section of the tales a fragment. Although not completely finished or even revised, each character has a tale in which it is representative of moral characteristics as well as societal and economical issues surrounding that specific character's life.
One of the important contributions made to literature by Chaucer was the development of human character. Before his work, character was hardly developed, making many characters flat. Plot was more important than character. If you look at modern novels today, you'll see that Chaucer influenced the writing. A good story is driven by a character and his or her psychology with whom the audience can somehow relate to--which can be positive or negative--and the story develops around that character.
Besides being one of the first texts written in the English vernacular, The Canterbury Tales held a lot of other important firsts. Chaucer's work was one of the first to take a critical look at the Church, criticizing priests, monks, and other clergypersons. Another first was it's focus on the world as opposed to God, Heaven, Hell, etc. Needless to say, Chaucer's work was integral for the development of Western and English literature.
Hopefully, this background has gotten you ready for the tales themselves, which are humorous and enchanting. Tomorrow I'll start summarizing!
Until then,
Cassy
Chaucer meant for each pilgrim to have two tales on the way to Canterbury and two on the way back from the cathedral (making 120 tales in total), but he never completed the enormous project. Scholars are uncertain about the order of the tales because the printing press had not been invented yet, making many contemporary translations differ in order of tales. Many scholars call each section of the tales a fragment. Although not completely finished or even revised, each character has a tale in which it is representative of moral characteristics as well as societal and economical issues surrounding that specific character's life.
One of the important contributions made to literature by Chaucer was the development of human character. Before his work, character was hardly developed, making many characters flat. Plot was more important than character. If you look at modern novels today, you'll see that Chaucer influenced the writing. A good story is driven by a character and his or her psychology with whom the audience can somehow relate to--which can be positive or negative--and the story develops around that character.
Besides being one of the first texts written in the English vernacular, The Canterbury Tales held a lot of other important firsts. Chaucer's work was one of the first to take a critical look at the Church, criticizing priests, monks, and other clergypersons. Another first was it's focus on the world as opposed to God, Heaven, Hell, etc. Needless to say, Chaucer's work was integral for the development of Western and English literature.
Hopefully, this background has gotten you ready for the tales themselves, which are humorous and enchanting. Tomorrow I'll start summarizing!
Until then,
Cassy
Teaching The Inferno for modern students
Sorry for not posting last night. The Internet at Jewell can be very cantankerous sometimes. But to the main point at hand: Why teaching The Inferno can be beneficial for our students.
The Inferno can be an important text for students to take and compare it to their lives and our world around us. Although it's not for us to say who might end up in which circle of Dante's Hell, there are people either in Hollywood, movies, media, etc. that personify the deadly sins in Dante's epic poem.
This all ties back to the reading comprehension strategy of making connections. Connections to existential life in schools is obviously frowned upon, but Dante's work can require students to think about their own lives and sins they commit. Everyone sins, even if you don't want to use the verb sin, there's still wrongdoing happening everywhere by every person at some point. The poem, although caught up with the question of how to keep yourself from going to Hell and getting into Heaven, can still be beneficial for students to read without a discussion of God, Satan, Heaven, and Hell that could end up offending people.
There are definitely interesting issues to discuss with the text. One issue is gender. Are all women, think of Dido or Cleopatra, in Hell there because of sexual deviance? It certainly seems that way. What does it say about the patriarchal society of Italy when Dante was writing? Think about modern conceptions of women. There is the idea of the virgin and the whore, and many opinions think that women personify the latter.
Another interesting concept in Dante's work is the idea of responsibility, fate, and free will. For all of the sinners in Hell, their punishments coincide with their sins. Think about our punishment for crimes today. There is not necessarily a correlation between a criminal's punishment and his/her crime. For instance, in America, if a thief is caught, his/her hand isn't cut off. But that does happen in other countries. This could provide for a lively debate (IF DONE CORRECTLY) and could make students really think about our justice system and if it really suffices.
If you are interested in teaching The Inferno or you want to know more about it from the perspective of a teacher, I strongly suggest you click the following link. This link takes you to guide of Dante's Inferno by David Bruce. It's very detailed and thorough. Inferno Guide: David Bruce.
The next book is The Canterbury Tales. This is a pretty epic tale as well in terms of literary history as well as content, so be excited! I hope you enjoyed Dante as much as I do and you delve into his discussion of purgatory and paradise as well. Dante is a great author in terms of, again, literary history as well as the content he discussed.
Next will be a discussion of the history and background of Geoffrey Chaucer and The Canterbury Tales.
Until then,
Cassy
The Inferno can be an important text for students to take and compare it to their lives and our world around us. Although it's not for us to say who might end up in which circle of Dante's Hell, there are people either in Hollywood, movies, media, etc. that personify the deadly sins in Dante's epic poem.
This all ties back to the reading comprehension strategy of making connections. Connections to existential life in schools is obviously frowned upon, but Dante's work can require students to think about their own lives and sins they commit. Everyone sins, even if you don't want to use the verb sin, there's still wrongdoing happening everywhere by every person at some point. The poem, although caught up with the question of how to keep yourself from going to Hell and getting into Heaven, can still be beneficial for students to read without a discussion of God, Satan, Heaven, and Hell that could end up offending people.
There are definitely interesting issues to discuss with the text. One issue is gender. Are all women, think of Dido or Cleopatra, in Hell there because of sexual deviance? It certainly seems that way. What does it say about the patriarchal society of Italy when Dante was writing? Think about modern conceptions of women. There is the idea of the virgin and the whore, and many opinions think that women personify the latter.
Another interesting concept in Dante's work is the idea of responsibility, fate, and free will. For all of the sinners in Hell, their punishments coincide with their sins. Think about our punishment for crimes today. There is not necessarily a correlation between a criminal's punishment and his/her crime. For instance, in America, if a thief is caught, his/her hand isn't cut off. But that does happen in other countries. This could provide for a lively debate (IF DONE CORRECTLY) and could make students really think about our justice system and if it really suffices.
If you are interested in teaching The Inferno or you want to know more about it from the perspective of a teacher, I strongly suggest you click the following link. This link takes you to guide of Dante's Inferno by David Bruce. It's very detailed and thorough. Inferno Guide: David Bruce.
The next book is The Canterbury Tales. This is a pretty epic tale as well in terms of literary history as well as content, so be excited! I hope you enjoyed Dante as much as I do and you delve into his discussion of purgatory and paradise as well. Dante is a great author in terms of, again, literary history as well as the content he discussed.
Next will be a discussion of the history and background of Geoffrey Chaucer and The Canterbury Tales.
Until then,
Cassy
Thursday, July 18, 2013
The Inferno: Cantos XXVII-XXXIV
This is the end!
Canto XXVII has Virgil letting Ulysses leave, but he's quickly replaced. This flame is making a strange noise. This new sinner, according to Dante, sounds like a dying bull. This sinner is in a lot of pain, so much that Dante can't understand him. Finally, he gets his words out and he asks Virgil to stay and talk. Virgil tells Dante to talk to this sinner because he's Italian. This sinner talks about the city of Romagna and how it's being pillaged. Dane asks this sinner his name. The sinner was a soldier who repented his sins and became a Franciscan monk. This sinner's name is Guido da Montefeltro. As a young man, the sinner was an all-together bad person: backstabber, liar, cheater, etc. Realizing he was a bad person, he became a friar. Guess who ruined his life though? Pope Boniface. Boniface is fighting with Christian families who oppose him. He tells Guido that if he sides with him, he'll clear all his sins. So the Pope can wage war on innocents because of Guido. When Guido dies, a black demon takes him to Hell. After his story, Guido leaves. Our pilgrims leave as well and cross the bridge into the next pouch.
Canto XXVIII takes us to the ninth pouch. So many pouches! Dante is at a loss for words. Nothing can capture the degree of suffering and all of the "blood and wounds" in the pouch. A sinner comes up to Dante literally ripped to shreds. His body is cut down the middle so his insides are hanging out. Luckily for Dante, the sinner opens his chest for Dante to see. The sinner introduces himself as Mohammed. He gestures to another sinner, whose face is cut in half. His name is Ali and he's responsible for splitting the Muslims into the Sunnis and Shiites. Mohammed says they're all sowers of dissension and they're punished by being cut in half. The sinners walk in circles until they get to a demon with a sword who cuts them in half. They eventually heal then get cut again. Pretty gruesome. Mohammad asks why Dante isn't cut and Virgil says he's alive and on a trip sanctioned by God. That's a big deal to the sinners. Mohammad wants Dante to tell his friend Fra Dolcino to not die of starvation (but he does). Another guy, with his throat cut open, talks to Dante. He is Pier da Medicina. Pier wants a message to be taken to the living world, too. Dante agrees. Another man, Curio, comes to talk to Dante. Curio is the one who convinced Caesar to betray Pompey and invade Rome, which started a civil war. In Hell, Curio's tongue is cut in half so he can't speak. The next guy who talks to Dante is Mosca, who has his hands chopped off. Dante tells him off. The next is the most grotesque sinner yet. This guy is carrying his head like a lantern. He tells Dante to see if he can find anyone in Hell who suffers more than him. He is Bertran de Born, the man who turned Prince Henry against his father, King Henry II. Because he divided a father from his son, Bertran is punished to carry his own head.
Canto XXIX is in the tenth pouch. So many pouches! Dante's pretty upset about seeing all these gross things. Virgil tells Dante to suck is up. Why was Dante crying? He saw a sinner from his own family. Virgil doesn't care; he tells him to forget about it. They walk and talk and at the top of the bridge crossing into the last pouch, they hear a scream. Dante and Virgil keep walking on. They get to the bottom of a bank. Sinners here have a terrible disease. Dante sees two sinners propped against each other. The two sinners are hitting each other with their claws (yeah, claws). Virgil tells the two guys to stop, and asks them if they're Italian. Yes, they're Italian and yes, they want to know who they are. Dante gets the sinners to say who they are. The first one says he's mad at the Bishop of Siena. He was practicing alchemy and got caught. This guy's name is Griffolino. Dante says that his people are so vain. Another sinner agrees with Dante. This guy is Capocchio, who is an alchemist as well. Irony: he's from Sienna, too.
Canto XXX (30!!) starts with Dante giving us some epic similes. Google them. There's a shade who runs over Capocchio and bites him in the neck. Gross. Griffolino says that this is Gianni Schicchi, whose crime is impersonation. In his friend's will, Gianni said he was someone else so he could get a horse. Dante asks about another sinner. She's a princess named Myrrha. She fell in love with her father, impersonated another woman, and slept with him. Gross, gross, gross. Dante lets these guys pass on by and checks out the rest of the sinners. One sinner is contorted into a lute, has the skin of his face rotting off, and is bloated from disease. This guy says he is Master Adam. His punishment is craving water. He counterfeited coins. He wants to find Guido (remember him?) and punish him because apparently it's Guido's fault he's here. Dante doesn't care and ask who the two sinners are that are sitting beside Master Adam. FYI, their bodies are smoking. Master Adam says one is Potiphar's wife--the lady who falsely accused Joseph of raping her--and Sinon of the Greeks. He tricked the Trojans into taking the Trojan horse into their city. They both have a fever which makes their skin smoke. Sinon starts fighting with Master Adam because he's insulted. Virgil breaks things up and warns Dante to stop watching the argument because it's pointless. Dante apologizes. Virgil is always right.
Canto XXXI has Dante and Virgil walking towards the ninth (and last!) circle. Problem: it's dark. Good thing they can hear, right? They can, and hear a bugle. Suddenly, Dante can see. He sees hundreds of towers. He thinks it's a city, but of course, Virgil says, you'll see when we get there. He apparently has a change of heart though, and says that those towers are actually giants trapped in the central pit of Hell. Dante is a little scared about that. They get to the giants and they are, well, giant. They're huge. One speaks gibberish and Virgil tells him to hush. Dante asks who this giant is. Guess what his name is? Nimrod. Nimrod (makes me chuckle) was the king of Babylon. Remember those people? They built the Tower of Babel. This is Nimrod's punishment: he can't speak a language anyone can understand. Makes sense. They come to a giant bigger and scarier than Nimrod. He's retrained by chains. This guy is Ephialtes, who challenged the gods back in the day. Now he's restrained forever. Dante asks when they can see another giant, Briareus. Virgil didn't really listen and says they'll see Anteaus soon and he'll take us to the bottom. He finally answers Dante and says they'll see Briareus soon. They reach Antaeus. Virgil asks them to take them below. He does. They finally get to the last circle.
Canto XXXII has Dante, again, at a loss for words. He and Virgil are really at the bottom of Hell. Dante looks out at the frozen river before them. The ice is super thick. The sinners here are in the ice up to their chins. They keep their heads down and curse the cold. Dante sees two sinners whose hair is tangled together, and he asks who they are. They've been crying, so their tears have frozen their mouths shut. Can't talk, Dante. A sinner says they are the Bisenzio twins, who killed each other because of politics. The speaker says he is Camiscione dei Pazzi, who killed a family member for political power. Walking forward, Dante kicks a sinner in the head. Dante stops to figure out who this guy is. The sinner doesn't really want to talk to Dante. Dante hulks out on the guy and grabs him by the neck. He screams at him, telling him to tell Dante who he is or he'll keep pulling until he pulls out all of his hair. What? Roid-rage, Dante. The sinner doesn't care and Dante makes good on his threat. As the guy is screaming, another sinner tells Bocca to shut up. Now we know his name. Dante trash talks him, then they leave.
Canto XXXIII is ridiculously long. FYI. A sinner, bleeding from the head, begins to talk to Dante. He is Count Ugolino. Right now he's eating Archbishop Ruggieri (yes, eating). Ugolino says that the Archbishop tricked him then killed him. Ugolino was a magistrate of Pisa. He was eventually exiled from Pisa. Ruggieri invites Ugolino back into the city, but then betrays him. Ugolino is locked in a tower for a long time. He's pretty much starved out with his sons. Makes sense why he's eating Ruggieri. Dante and Virgil move on. They pass through another ring. Dante is starting to feel cold and he's going numb. He feels a wind, which is weird. He asks Virgil what's up. Imagine this: Virgil doesn't answer just says, yeah, you'll find out soon. A sinner yells at them. Dante wants the sinner's name and story. Fra Alberigo says that he had his relatives killed at a dinner. This fun place, has the ability to take a soul via demon without the person actually dying. So, Alberigo doesn't know if he's already dead. Antoerh sinner, Branca Doria, is recognized and he's still alive. This means a demon has possessed his earthly body.
Canto XXXIV (finally!) starts with Latin that says, "The banners of the King of Hell draw closer." Sweet. Dante is told to keep his eyes open for Lucifer. The wind is going crazy right now, so Dante uses Virgil as a shield. Virgil announces they're in Dis. Dante tells the reader, "I did not die, and I was not alive." Interesting. He sees Lucifer. He's so ugly. He has three heads--one red, one yellow, one black--and underneath each head there is a pair of huge wings. Source of the wind. Lucifer is crying out of his six eyes. His tears fall into his three mouths. He's eating sinners, by the way. In the middle mouth, there is a sinner there. It's Judas Iscariot, the man who betrayed Jesus. The man in the black mouth is Brutus, who betrayed Julius Caesar. The last sinner is Cassius, who also betrayed Caesar. Virgil says it's time to go. Guess what? It's hard leaving Hell. Dante jumps on Virgil's back as Virgil jumps onto Lucifer. He rappels down using Lucifer's hairy skin as rope. Nasty. Once they get to the nether-region, Virgil starts going up Lucifer's legs. Dante freaks, but Virgil says, yeah, we're leaving Hell. Virgil takes a breather and sets Dante down for a moment. Dante leans over to look back up Lucifer's torso, but the world has flipped. Instead of seeing Lucifer's chest, he sees his legs. Virgil says, let's go. They start walking. Dante asks what just happened. Virgil says they're no longer in the northern hemisphere. Oh. Right. Medieval people thought Lucifer's body spanned the diameter of the earth. Now you know. Now it's dawn. Dante and Virgil find a cave. They follow a stream back to the surface of the world. They emerge under to see the stars.
That's is, folks. To the pits of Hell and back. Next post is about why teaching this thing is important.
Also, you should read the rest of The Divine Comedy, just so you feel fulfilled.
Cassy
Canto XXVII has Virgil letting Ulysses leave, but he's quickly replaced. This flame is making a strange noise. This new sinner, according to Dante, sounds like a dying bull. This sinner is in a lot of pain, so much that Dante can't understand him. Finally, he gets his words out and he asks Virgil to stay and talk. Virgil tells Dante to talk to this sinner because he's Italian. This sinner talks about the city of Romagna and how it's being pillaged. Dane asks this sinner his name. The sinner was a soldier who repented his sins and became a Franciscan monk. This sinner's name is Guido da Montefeltro. As a young man, the sinner was an all-together bad person: backstabber, liar, cheater, etc. Realizing he was a bad person, he became a friar. Guess who ruined his life though? Pope Boniface. Boniface is fighting with Christian families who oppose him. He tells Guido that if he sides with him, he'll clear all his sins. So the Pope can wage war on innocents because of Guido. When Guido dies, a black demon takes him to Hell. After his story, Guido leaves. Our pilgrims leave as well and cross the bridge into the next pouch.
Canto XXVIII takes us to the ninth pouch. So many pouches! Dante is at a loss for words. Nothing can capture the degree of suffering and all of the "blood and wounds" in the pouch. A sinner comes up to Dante literally ripped to shreds. His body is cut down the middle so his insides are hanging out. Luckily for Dante, the sinner opens his chest for Dante to see. The sinner introduces himself as Mohammed. He gestures to another sinner, whose face is cut in half. His name is Ali and he's responsible for splitting the Muslims into the Sunnis and Shiites. Mohammed says they're all sowers of dissension and they're punished by being cut in half. The sinners walk in circles until they get to a demon with a sword who cuts them in half. They eventually heal then get cut again. Pretty gruesome. Mohammad asks why Dante isn't cut and Virgil says he's alive and on a trip sanctioned by God. That's a big deal to the sinners. Mohammad wants Dante to tell his friend Fra Dolcino to not die of starvation (but he does). Another guy, with his throat cut open, talks to Dante. He is Pier da Medicina. Pier wants a message to be taken to the living world, too. Dante agrees. Another man, Curio, comes to talk to Dante. Curio is the one who convinced Caesar to betray Pompey and invade Rome, which started a civil war. In Hell, Curio's tongue is cut in half so he can't speak. The next guy who talks to Dante is Mosca, who has his hands chopped off. Dante tells him off. The next is the most grotesque sinner yet. This guy is carrying his head like a lantern. He tells Dante to see if he can find anyone in Hell who suffers more than him. He is Bertran de Born, the man who turned Prince Henry against his father, King Henry II. Because he divided a father from his son, Bertran is punished to carry his own head.
Canto XXIX is in the tenth pouch. So many pouches! Dante's pretty upset about seeing all these gross things. Virgil tells Dante to suck is up. Why was Dante crying? He saw a sinner from his own family. Virgil doesn't care; he tells him to forget about it. They walk and talk and at the top of the bridge crossing into the last pouch, they hear a scream. Dante and Virgil keep walking on. They get to the bottom of a bank. Sinners here have a terrible disease. Dante sees two sinners propped against each other. The two sinners are hitting each other with their claws (yeah, claws). Virgil tells the two guys to stop, and asks them if they're Italian. Yes, they're Italian and yes, they want to know who they are. Dante gets the sinners to say who they are. The first one says he's mad at the Bishop of Siena. He was practicing alchemy and got caught. This guy's name is Griffolino. Dante says that his people are so vain. Another sinner agrees with Dante. This guy is Capocchio, who is an alchemist as well. Irony: he's from Sienna, too.
Canto XXX (30!!) starts with Dante giving us some epic similes. Google them. There's a shade who runs over Capocchio and bites him in the neck. Gross. Griffolino says that this is Gianni Schicchi, whose crime is impersonation. In his friend's will, Gianni said he was someone else so he could get a horse. Dante asks about another sinner. She's a princess named Myrrha. She fell in love with her father, impersonated another woman, and slept with him. Gross, gross, gross. Dante lets these guys pass on by and checks out the rest of the sinners. One sinner is contorted into a lute, has the skin of his face rotting off, and is bloated from disease. This guy says he is Master Adam. His punishment is craving water. He counterfeited coins. He wants to find Guido (remember him?) and punish him because apparently it's Guido's fault he's here. Dante doesn't care and ask who the two sinners are that are sitting beside Master Adam. FYI, their bodies are smoking. Master Adam says one is Potiphar's wife--the lady who falsely accused Joseph of raping her--and Sinon of the Greeks. He tricked the Trojans into taking the Trojan horse into their city. They both have a fever which makes their skin smoke. Sinon starts fighting with Master Adam because he's insulted. Virgil breaks things up and warns Dante to stop watching the argument because it's pointless. Dante apologizes. Virgil is always right.
Canto XXXI has Dante and Virgil walking towards the ninth (and last!) circle. Problem: it's dark. Good thing they can hear, right? They can, and hear a bugle. Suddenly, Dante can see. He sees hundreds of towers. He thinks it's a city, but of course, Virgil says, you'll see when we get there. He apparently has a change of heart though, and says that those towers are actually giants trapped in the central pit of Hell. Dante is a little scared about that. They get to the giants and they are, well, giant. They're huge. One speaks gibberish and Virgil tells him to hush. Dante asks who this giant is. Guess what his name is? Nimrod. Nimrod (makes me chuckle) was the king of Babylon. Remember those people? They built the Tower of Babel. This is Nimrod's punishment: he can't speak a language anyone can understand. Makes sense. They come to a giant bigger and scarier than Nimrod. He's retrained by chains. This guy is Ephialtes, who challenged the gods back in the day. Now he's restrained forever. Dante asks when they can see another giant, Briareus. Virgil didn't really listen and says they'll see Anteaus soon and he'll take us to the bottom. He finally answers Dante and says they'll see Briareus soon. They reach Antaeus. Virgil asks them to take them below. He does. They finally get to the last circle.
Canto XXXII has Dante, again, at a loss for words. He and Virgil are really at the bottom of Hell. Dante looks out at the frozen river before them. The ice is super thick. The sinners here are in the ice up to their chins. They keep their heads down and curse the cold. Dante sees two sinners whose hair is tangled together, and he asks who they are. They've been crying, so their tears have frozen their mouths shut. Can't talk, Dante. A sinner says they are the Bisenzio twins, who killed each other because of politics. The speaker says he is Camiscione dei Pazzi, who killed a family member for political power. Walking forward, Dante kicks a sinner in the head. Dante stops to figure out who this guy is. The sinner doesn't really want to talk to Dante. Dante hulks out on the guy and grabs him by the neck. He screams at him, telling him to tell Dante who he is or he'll keep pulling until he pulls out all of his hair. What? Roid-rage, Dante. The sinner doesn't care and Dante makes good on his threat. As the guy is screaming, another sinner tells Bocca to shut up. Now we know his name. Dante trash talks him, then they leave.
Canto XXXIII is ridiculously long. FYI. A sinner, bleeding from the head, begins to talk to Dante. He is Count Ugolino. Right now he's eating Archbishop Ruggieri (yes, eating). Ugolino says that the Archbishop tricked him then killed him. Ugolino was a magistrate of Pisa. He was eventually exiled from Pisa. Ruggieri invites Ugolino back into the city, but then betrays him. Ugolino is locked in a tower for a long time. He's pretty much starved out with his sons. Makes sense why he's eating Ruggieri. Dante and Virgil move on. They pass through another ring. Dante is starting to feel cold and he's going numb. He feels a wind, which is weird. He asks Virgil what's up. Imagine this: Virgil doesn't answer just says, yeah, you'll find out soon. A sinner yells at them. Dante wants the sinner's name and story. Fra Alberigo says that he had his relatives killed at a dinner. This fun place, has the ability to take a soul via demon without the person actually dying. So, Alberigo doesn't know if he's already dead. Antoerh sinner, Branca Doria, is recognized and he's still alive. This means a demon has possessed his earthly body.
Canto XXXIV (finally!) starts with Latin that says, "The banners of the King of Hell draw closer." Sweet. Dante is told to keep his eyes open for Lucifer. The wind is going crazy right now, so Dante uses Virgil as a shield. Virgil announces they're in Dis. Dante tells the reader, "I did not die, and I was not alive." Interesting. He sees Lucifer. He's so ugly. He has three heads--one red, one yellow, one black--and underneath each head there is a pair of huge wings. Source of the wind. Lucifer is crying out of his six eyes. His tears fall into his three mouths. He's eating sinners, by the way. In the middle mouth, there is a sinner there. It's Judas Iscariot, the man who betrayed Jesus. The man in the black mouth is Brutus, who betrayed Julius Caesar. The last sinner is Cassius, who also betrayed Caesar. Virgil says it's time to go. Guess what? It's hard leaving Hell. Dante jumps on Virgil's back as Virgil jumps onto Lucifer. He rappels down using Lucifer's hairy skin as rope. Nasty. Once they get to the nether-region, Virgil starts going up Lucifer's legs. Dante freaks, but Virgil says, yeah, we're leaving Hell. Virgil takes a breather and sets Dante down for a moment. Dante leans over to look back up Lucifer's torso, but the world has flipped. Instead of seeing Lucifer's chest, he sees his legs. Virgil says, let's go. They start walking. Dante asks what just happened. Virgil says they're no longer in the northern hemisphere. Oh. Right. Medieval people thought Lucifer's body spanned the diameter of the earth. Now you know. Now it's dawn. Dante and Virgil find a cave. They follow a stream back to the surface of the world. They emerge under to see the stars.
That's is, folks. To the pits of Hell and back. Next post is about why teaching this thing is important.
Also, you should read the rest of The Divine Comedy, just so you feel fulfilled.
Cassy
The Inferno: Cantos XVIII-XXVI Summary
Let's dive right into the text, shall we?
Canto XVIII takes us into the eighth circle of Hell. Remember all those sections and rings of the seventh circle? Well, the eighth has pouches. The eighth's nickname is Malebolge, which essentially means evil pouches. Sounds fun, right? Virgil leads Dante to the leftmost side of the circle and Dante views the sinners on the right. These sinners are naked and marching in a long line where they are whipped on every side by demons with horns. Dante locks eyes with one of the sinners and realizes he knows him. The sinner tries to hide his face, but Dante knows it's Venedico Caccianemico. Dante, without being subtle, asks him why he's in Hell. Venedico says he pandered his sister, Ghisolabella, into doing sexual favors. Yes, pandering means pimping back in the day. Venedico says that he's not the only Bolognese guy in Hell. At this point, a demon hits Venedico on the head, pretty much saying, "Shut up." Dante and Virgil start walking again. The sinners marching, being tormented by demons, starts walking in the same direction as Dante and Virgil. Virgil says, "Hey, Dante. Look there. It's Jason of the Argonauts." What? What is Jason doing in Hell? Well, Virgil explains, Jason, being the dashing man he is, impregnated Hypsipyle of Lemnos, and left her pregnant so he could go steal the Golden Fleece. After this chipper tale, the two cross a bridge into the second pouch (remember, we're in the evil pouches), where flatterers are submerged in a ditch full of bodily wastes. These sinners scream and fight amongst themselves. They're so disgusting that their moans turn into mold that grows on their bodies. Dante and Virgil are watching the sinners from a bridge, and Dante, again, thinks he recognizes someone. This sinner yells at him, asking why he's singled him out. Dante says that he knows him as Alessio Interminei of Lucca. Alessio hits himself repeatedly over the head, and says that he's in Hell because he's a flatterer. Virgil says, "Hey, Dante. Look over there, this time. It's Thais." Thais was a courtesan (prostitute), who gave excessive thanks to her lover for sex. Virgil and Dante decide it's time to move on.
Canto XIX starts with Dante going on a tirade about simonists. Simonists are clerics who sell absolution for money. Chaucer will talk about this in The Canterbury Tales, as well. Dante says these sinners fornicate for gold and silver. Pretty heavy accusations. Now, Dante and Virgil are in the third pouch. That's where the simonists are. What's their punishment? They are buried upside-down in holes where their feet stick out. Their feet are burnt by flames. What does this mean for the simonists? Eternal suffocation. Dante sees that one sinner is exposed to redder flames than any other sinner. Dante asks Virgil why. Virgil, doing his not-answering bit, suggests they go find out. At the feet of the sinner, Dante asks to name himself. Dante, imagine, is now taking on the role of a friar at the confession. Ironically (comically?), the sinner mistakes Dante for his successor in simony, Pope Boniface VIII, coming to take his place in Hell. He obviously can't see Dante, so this makes sense. Virgil orders Dante to tell the man (Nicholas), that he isn't Boniface. Pope Nicholas changes his tune and, being annoyed, asks what they want from him. He goes into a story about how he was a great pope, but he used simony to try and get more money for his family. He explains that for simonists, that once their successor shows up in Hell, they drop farther into the rock they're buried in, making the whole third pouch bedrock buried simonists. Pope Nicholas says that following Pope Boniface, there will be an even worse Pope on the way, Pope Clement V. Dante is tired of this talk and eventually says that Nicholas had what was coming for him. Dante goes on a diatribe about how Rome, the papal seat, is like a whore who has sex with kings for money. Popes are idolaters, and he even says Constantine funded the Church after his conversion to Christianity. Virgil is proud of Dante's anger and carries him across the bridge to the fourth pouch. They walk across the steep valley.
Canto XX has Dante looking at a group of sinners walking very slowly, as if in a procession. Upon further inspection, Dante sees that these sinners have their heads turned backwards on their shoulders so they must walk backwards (since they can't see in front of them). Gross. Dante is appalled by what he sees and has tears in his eyes. Virgil gets mad. Dante shouldn't have pity for these sinners. Virgil tells him to look at the sinners. There's Amphiaraus, a king who saw his defeat and tried to hide; there's Tiresias (remember him??), who changed himself from a man to a woman then back to a man; Aruns, who foretold of Caesar's victory; and a witch named Manto, which Mantua--Virgil's hometown--is named after. As you might have guessed, Dante wants to know who some more sinners are. Virgil shows him Calchas (from the Aeneid), Michael Scot and Guido Bonatti who are both atrologers, and Asdente who was a shoemaker/soothsayer. Virgil says it's time to move on because the moon is getting low on the horizon.
Canto XXI takes us into the fifth pouch. It's rather dark here. As Dante is trying to gather himself in the darkness, Virgil tells him to be careful. Dante turns around and almost faints at the sight of a black demon running towards them. The demon doesn't really care about Dante or Virgil because he has a sinner thrown over his shoulder. Dante tells us that this sinner is a barrator, or a corrupt politician from Lucca. The demon proceeds to throw the sinner into a boiling river and calls his demon friends, or Evil-Claws (Malebranche), to come join. They congregate around the sinner and poke and push him under the water with pitchforks and hooks. Virgil tells Dante to keep down so the demons don't see them. That's great advice, but Virgil doesn't listen to himself. He goes up to the demons and tells them to put their weapons down. Seriously, Virgil? Smart move. The demons laugh at him. The leader, Malacoda or Evil-Tail, asks why a living dude is down in Hell. Virgil says, "Because God wills it." Evil-Tail thinks that's a good reason and says he won't mess with Dante. Virgil tells Dante to come over. One demon says they should stab Dante in the butt with a pitchfork. They all laugh, but Malacoda says they better not do that. He then tells Virgil they can't keep walking the way they're going because the bridge is broken. He volunteers ten of his demon minions (is that repetitive?) to accompany them to the next bridge that is intact, as long as they keep torturing sinners along the way. Dante doesn't trust anyone but Virgil, and he doesn't want to die at the hands of these demons. Virgil tries to comfort Dante, saying that the demons are only evil toward the sinners. As they walk, the demons think it would be funny to fart. Maybe that's the only kind of humor demons enjoy.
Canto XXII starts with Dante not really enjoying the demons' flatulence. I bet it smells awful. They keep walking. Dante stares and looks for more sinners. One of the demons, Grafficane, catches a sinner. He tells Rubicante, another demon, to put his claws into the sinner. Dante tells Virgil to stop by asking the sinner some questions. Virgil asks the sinner where he was born. The sinner says that he was born in Northern Spain. He gives more background information, but never his name. Virgil gets the information he wanted and watches as another demon, Ciriatto, rips the sinner open. Barbariccia, the farting demon, wants Virgil to keep questioning the sinner. Virgil asks if he has any Italian friends in Hell. He says yes and points to one, wishing that he was not in the situation he is in. The demons are frenzied at this point and start ripping at the sinner's flesh. Barbariccia tells them to stop. Virgil asks who the Italian is. The sinner says it's Fra Gomita, a clergyman. Fra Gomita always managed to take gold from the people he worked for. He's a swindler like his friend Don Michele Zanche. The nameless sinner is so freaked out by the demons that he says he'll get him friends out of the pitch if they show him mercy. As the demons are laughing, the sinner escapes. This obviously doesn't make the demons happy. While they're arguing amongst themselves, Dante and Virgil sneak away.
Canto XXIII starts with our two pilgrims running away from the demons. Dante is so scared that his hair literally curls up. Dante tells Virgil that they should hide because he hears demons coming. Virgil thinks that's a pretty good idea. The demons are getting pretty close, so in a hurry, Virgil picks Dante up and they run to the edge of a cliff. They slide down the cliff. Just as they get to the bottom, the demons scream because they can't cross the border into the next pouch. Dante and Virgil find the next group of sinners. These guys are walking around in circles and dressed in gold cloaks. The cloaks are heavy because they're lined on the inside with lead. A sinner recognizes Dante's accent and tells them to stop. Dante and Virgil join the circle and talk to the two men who are wondering why a live guy is in Hell. Dante asks who they are and why they have this punishment. They tell Dante they are hypocrites. Dante is about to tell them off, but he sees something is crucified. It's a naked sinner crucified to the ground. Dante is told that the crucified man is Caiaphas, a priest who came up with the idea to crucify Jesus. Caiaphas's family is also affected by his punishment. Virgil asks the guys if there's a way another bridge close by. Virgil finds out the demons lied because the bridge is broken but there's enough debris they can still cross. The guys are astonished that they actually trusted demons because they're liars. Virgil leaves in a huff with Dante at his heels.
Canto XXIV begins with Virgil telling Dante to keep moving down the rocky bank. Dante tells us that if Virgil wasn't there he would have given up a long time ago. Dante keeps chatting and a voice from the next pouch answers him. It's too dark for Dante to see who's talking to him. They cross the bridge to try and find him. They get to a valley filled with snakes. With these snakes are sinners. The snakes are a little possessed and do things like tie themselves around the sinners. As soon as the sinners are bitten by the snakes they turn into piles of ash, but only for a moment, because they re-form. Virgil asks a sinner who recently turned back from ash who he is. The sinner says he is Vanni Fucci and he's from Pistoia. Dante tells Virgil he knew who Vanni was and that he should actually be in the fifth circle. Vanni says that he was a thief; he stole from a church. Vanni then talks about the future of Florence and Dante's exile because his political party will fall.
Canto XXV starts with Vanni finishing his rant then makes a blasphemous gesture towards God. Dante isn't too happy with him. Just then, snakes come and wrap around Vanni so he can't move. A centaur comes by covered in snakes, too. Virgil tells us that his is Cacus. Cacus stole cattle from Hercules and Hercules punished him by beating him to death. A voice calls out, "Who are you?" We don't know who this question is directed to. A sinner asks where Ciafna is. Ciafna pops out, but it's not a human. Ciafna is a serpent with six legs. Ciafna starts to devour the sinner who called him. If that isn't weird enough, they begin to meld together. A whole bunch of things happen and Dante goes into detail about how the snakes start attacking sinners.
Canto XXVI takes us to the next pouch (that's eight if you haven't been counting). They have to crawl on their hands and knees to get to the next valley. Dante says that these thieves and counselors should have used their abilities for good. In this pouch, there's a ton of flames. Why? Each flame is a sinner . Dante asks who the double-flame sinner is approaching them. Virgil says it's Ulysses and Diomedes (I know. When I first read it I was a little outraged that they were in Hell). Virgil says that they were responsible for the Trojan horse and pillaging of Athena's temple. Virgil told us this in the Aeneid. Dante wants to talk to them, but Virgil says that he'll do the talking. Virgil asks how they died. Ulysses says that what was covered in the Odyssey doesn't quite tell his whole story. He sailed past Spain and Morocco, which was like the edge of the world. Ulysses makes them keep sailing because no one else had ever sailed that far. They find the Mount of Purgatory. God says this is far enough and sends a whirlwind and everyone dies. The end.
What a good day for learning about Dante's Hell. Next post is summarizing the rest of the text!
Cassy
Canto XVIII takes us into the eighth circle of Hell. Remember all those sections and rings of the seventh circle? Well, the eighth has pouches. The eighth's nickname is Malebolge, which essentially means evil pouches. Sounds fun, right? Virgil leads Dante to the leftmost side of the circle and Dante views the sinners on the right. These sinners are naked and marching in a long line where they are whipped on every side by demons with horns. Dante locks eyes with one of the sinners and realizes he knows him. The sinner tries to hide his face, but Dante knows it's Venedico Caccianemico. Dante, without being subtle, asks him why he's in Hell. Venedico says he pandered his sister, Ghisolabella, into doing sexual favors. Yes, pandering means pimping back in the day. Venedico says that he's not the only Bolognese guy in Hell. At this point, a demon hits Venedico on the head, pretty much saying, "Shut up." Dante and Virgil start walking again. The sinners marching, being tormented by demons, starts walking in the same direction as Dante and Virgil. Virgil says, "Hey, Dante. Look there. It's Jason of the Argonauts." What? What is Jason doing in Hell? Well, Virgil explains, Jason, being the dashing man he is, impregnated Hypsipyle of Lemnos, and left her pregnant so he could go steal the Golden Fleece. After this chipper tale, the two cross a bridge into the second pouch (remember, we're in the evil pouches), where flatterers are submerged in a ditch full of bodily wastes. These sinners scream and fight amongst themselves. They're so disgusting that their moans turn into mold that grows on their bodies. Dante and Virgil are watching the sinners from a bridge, and Dante, again, thinks he recognizes someone. This sinner yells at him, asking why he's singled him out. Dante says that he knows him as Alessio Interminei of Lucca. Alessio hits himself repeatedly over the head, and says that he's in Hell because he's a flatterer. Virgil says, "Hey, Dante. Look over there, this time. It's Thais." Thais was a courtesan (prostitute), who gave excessive thanks to her lover for sex. Virgil and Dante decide it's time to move on.
Canto XIX starts with Dante going on a tirade about simonists. Simonists are clerics who sell absolution for money. Chaucer will talk about this in The Canterbury Tales, as well. Dante says these sinners fornicate for gold and silver. Pretty heavy accusations. Now, Dante and Virgil are in the third pouch. That's where the simonists are. What's their punishment? They are buried upside-down in holes where their feet stick out. Their feet are burnt by flames. What does this mean for the simonists? Eternal suffocation. Dante sees that one sinner is exposed to redder flames than any other sinner. Dante asks Virgil why. Virgil, doing his not-answering bit, suggests they go find out. At the feet of the sinner, Dante asks to name himself. Dante, imagine, is now taking on the role of a friar at the confession. Ironically (comically?), the sinner mistakes Dante for his successor in simony, Pope Boniface VIII, coming to take his place in Hell. He obviously can't see Dante, so this makes sense. Virgil orders Dante to tell the man (Nicholas), that he isn't Boniface. Pope Nicholas changes his tune and, being annoyed, asks what they want from him. He goes into a story about how he was a great pope, but he used simony to try and get more money for his family. He explains that for simonists, that once their successor shows up in Hell, they drop farther into the rock they're buried in, making the whole third pouch bedrock buried simonists. Pope Nicholas says that following Pope Boniface, there will be an even worse Pope on the way, Pope Clement V. Dante is tired of this talk and eventually says that Nicholas had what was coming for him. Dante goes on a diatribe about how Rome, the papal seat, is like a whore who has sex with kings for money. Popes are idolaters, and he even says Constantine funded the Church after his conversion to Christianity. Virgil is proud of Dante's anger and carries him across the bridge to the fourth pouch. They walk across the steep valley.
Canto XX has Dante looking at a group of sinners walking very slowly, as if in a procession. Upon further inspection, Dante sees that these sinners have their heads turned backwards on their shoulders so they must walk backwards (since they can't see in front of them). Gross. Dante is appalled by what he sees and has tears in his eyes. Virgil gets mad. Dante shouldn't have pity for these sinners. Virgil tells him to look at the sinners. There's Amphiaraus, a king who saw his defeat and tried to hide; there's Tiresias (remember him??), who changed himself from a man to a woman then back to a man; Aruns, who foretold of Caesar's victory; and a witch named Manto, which Mantua--Virgil's hometown--is named after. As you might have guessed, Dante wants to know who some more sinners are. Virgil shows him Calchas (from the Aeneid), Michael Scot and Guido Bonatti who are both atrologers, and Asdente who was a shoemaker/soothsayer. Virgil says it's time to move on because the moon is getting low on the horizon.
Canto XXI takes us into the fifth pouch. It's rather dark here. As Dante is trying to gather himself in the darkness, Virgil tells him to be careful. Dante turns around and almost faints at the sight of a black demon running towards them. The demon doesn't really care about Dante or Virgil because he has a sinner thrown over his shoulder. Dante tells us that this sinner is a barrator, or a corrupt politician from Lucca. The demon proceeds to throw the sinner into a boiling river and calls his demon friends, or Evil-Claws (Malebranche), to come join. They congregate around the sinner and poke and push him under the water with pitchforks and hooks. Virgil tells Dante to keep down so the demons don't see them. That's great advice, but Virgil doesn't listen to himself. He goes up to the demons and tells them to put their weapons down. Seriously, Virgil? Smart move. The demons laugh at him. The leader, Malacoda or Evil-Tail, asks why a living dude is down in Hell. Virgil says, "Because God wills it." Evil-Tail thinks that's a good reason and says he won't mess with Dante. Virgil tells Dante to come over. One demon says they should stab Dante in the butt with a pitchfork. They all laugh, but Malacoda says they better not do that. He then tells Virgil they can't keep walking the way they're going because the bridge is broken. He volunteers ten of his demon minions (is that repetitive?) to accompany them to the next bridge that is intact, as long as they keep torturing sinners along the way. Dante doesn't trust anyone but Virgil, and he doesn't want to die at the hands of these demons. Virgil tries to comfort Dante, saying that the demons are only evil toward the sinners. As they walk, the demons think it would be funny to fart. Maybe that's the only kind of humor demons enjoy.
Canto XXII starts with Dante not really enjoying the demons' flatulence. I bet it smells awful. They keep walking. Dante stares and looks for more sinners. One of the demons, Grafficane, catches a sinner. He tells Rubicante, another demon, to put his claws into the sinner. Dante tells Virgil to stop by asking the sinner some questions. Virgil asks the sinner where he was born. The sinner says that he was born in Northern Spain. He gives more background information, but never his name. Virgil gets the information he wanted and watches as another demon, Ciriatto, rips the sinner open. Barbariccia, the farting demon, wants Virgil to keep questioning the sinner. Virgil asks if he has any Italian friends in Hell. He says yes and points to one, wishing that he was not in the situation he is in. The demons are frenzied at this point and start ripping at the sinner's flesh. Barbariccia tells them to stop. Virgil asks who the Italian is. The sinner says it's Fra Gomita, a clergyman. Fra Gomita always managed to take gold from the people he worked for. He's a swindler like his friend Don Michele Zanche. The nameless sinner is so freaked out by the demons that he says he'll get him friends out of the pitch if they show him mercy. As the demons are laughing, the sinner escapes. This obviously doesn't make the demons happy. While they're arguing amongst themselves, Dante and Virgil sneak away.
Canto XXIII starts with our two pilgrims running away from the demons. Dante is so scared that his hair literally curls up. Dante tells Virgil that they should hide because he hears demons coming. Virgil thinks that's a pretty good idea. The demons are getting pretty close, so in a hurry, Virgil picks Dante up and they run to the edge of a cliff. They slide down the cliff. Just as they get to the bottom, the demons scream because they can't cross the border into the next pouch. Dante and Virgil find the next group of sinners. These guys are walking around in circles and dressed in gold cloaks. The cloaks are heavy because they're lined on the inside with lead. A sinner recognizes Dante's accent and tells them to stop. Dante and Virgil join the circle and talk to the two men who are wondering why a live guy is in Hell. Dante asks who they are and why they have this punishment. They tell Dante they are hypocrites. Dante is about to tell them off, but he sees something is crucified. It's a naked sinner crucified to the ground. Dante is told that the crucified man is Caiaphas, a priest who came up with the idea to crucify Jesus. Caiaphas's family is also affected by his punishment. Virgil asks the guys if there's a way another bridge close by. Virgil finds out the demons lied because the bridge is broken but there's enough debris they can still cross. The guys are astonished that they actually trusted demons because they're liars. Virgil leaves in a huff with Dante at his heels.
Canto XXIV begins with Virgil telling Dante to keep moving down the rocky bank. Dante tells us that if Virgil wasn't there he would have given up a long time ago. Dante keeps chatting and a voice from the next pouch answers him. It's too dark for Dante to see who's talking to him. They cross the bridge to try and find him. They get to a valley filled with snakes. With these snakes are sinners. The snakes are a little possessed and do things like tie themselves around the sinners. As soon as the sinners are bitten by the snakes they turn into piles of ash, but only for a moment, because they re-form. Virgil asks a sinner who recently turned back from ash who he is. The sinner says he is Vanni Fucci and he's from Pistoia. Dante tells Virgil he knew who Vanni was and that he should actually be in the fifth circle. Vanni says that he was a thief; he stole from a church. Vanni then talks about the future of Florence and Dante's exile because his political party will fall.
Canto XXV starts with Vanni finishing his rant then makes a blasphemous gesture towards God. Dante isn't too happy with him. Just then, snakes come and wrap around Vanni so he can't move. A centaur comes by covered in snakes, too. Virgil tells us that his is Cacus. Cacus stole cattle from Hercules and Hercules punished him by beating him to death. A voice calls out, "Who are you?" We don't know who this question is directed to. A sinner asks where Ciafna is. Ciafna pops out, but it's not a human. Ciafna is a serpent with six legs. Ciafna starts to devour the sinner who called him. If that isn't weird enough, they begin to meld together. A whole bunch of things happen and Dante goes into detail about how the snakes start attacking sinners.
Canto XXVI takes us to the next pouch (that's eight if you haven't been counting). They have to crawl on their hands and knees to get to the next valley. Dante says that these thieves and counselors should have used their abilities for good. In this pouch, there's a ton of flames. Why? Each flame is a sinner . Dante asks who the double-flame sinner is approaching them. Virgil says it's Ulysses and Diomedes (I know. When I first read it I was a little outraged that they were in Hell). Virgil says that they were responsible for the Trojan horse and pillaging of Athena's temple. Virgil told us this in the Aeneid. Dante wants to talk to them, but Virgil says that he'll do the talking. Virgil asks how they died. Ulysses says that what was covered in the Odyssey doesn't quite tell his whole story. He sailed past Spain and Morocco, which was like the edge of the world. Ulysses makes them keep sailing because no one else had ever sailed that far. They find the Mount of Purgatory. God says this is far enough and sends a whirlwind and everyone dies. The end.
What a good day for learning about Dante's Hell. Next post is summarizing the rest of the text!
Cassy
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
The Inferno: Cantos IX-XVII Summary
I bet you mulled over what you think about Hell vs. Dante's description. Pretty scary, isn't it?
Canto IX takes us to Dante and Virgil waiting for their heavenly help to get into the city of Dis. Dante is a little freaked out by the fact that Virgil, the smooth talker, failed to gain access to the city. Virgil, impatiently waiting for someone, reassures Dante. Suddenly, Dante sees three Furies. Furies are creepy creatures. They're half woman, half serpent. Scary. The Furies laugh and shriek when they see Dante. They call Medusa to come turn him into stone. You know Medusa, right? Lady with snakes for hair. Yeah, her. Virgil covers Dante's eyes so he won't see Medusa's head. A loud noise makes the Furies scramble away. Thankfully for our two friends, they see an angel across the river Styx. Demons and souls are running away from him. He gets to the gates and commands that they be opened for Virgil and Dante. Obviously, they obey and the gates open up to the sixth circle of Hell. There are tombs all around them which glow among the hot flames. This circle of Hell is for the Heretics.
Canto X still has us in the sixth circle of Hell. Dante and Virgil start their wandering around of the sixth circle. Virgil explains to Dante that a particular group, the Epicureans, sought pleasure in life because they thought when the body died the soul died as well. Wrong-o, Epicureans. A voice from one of the tombs speaks to Dante. Virgil says it's Farinata, a Tuscan, who was a politician. Virgil tells Dante to have a chat with him. Not weird at all. Dante and Farinata start talking when another soul (rudely) interrupts them. This person is Cavalcante Cavalcanti (what a fun name). He's the father of one of Dante's besties, Guido. Cavalcante asks Dante why Guido isn't there with them. Dante says that Guido probably didn't like Virgil. Cavalcante thinks that Dante means Guido is dead. He goes back into this tomb, deeply disturbed. Farinata doesn't miss a beat and keeps chatting Dante up about Florentine politics. Dante gathers that the souls in Hell can see future events but not presen ones. Farinata predicts Dante's exile from Florence (he's pretty bitter about that). Farinata confirms that, as part of their punishment, Heretics can only see things in the future. Virgil tells Dante to come back and they walk through the rest of the circle. Farinata worried Dante about his exile, but Virgil comforts Dante.
Canto XI takes our travelers to the lovely seventh circle of Hell, reserved for sinners committing violent crimes. Our friends get to the seventh circle and it smells so bad that Virgil and Dante have to sit at the tomb of Pope Anastasius so they can get acclimated. Virgil, the seer of opportunities, takes this time to talk about the last three circles of Hell. The seventh circle contains those who are violent and is divided into three smaller circles: sinners violent against another person, sinners violent against themselves, and sinners violent against God. You know what's worse than being violent? The sin of fraud. Why, you might ask. Well, fraud breaks the bond of trust, which is a BIG deal. The last two circles of Hell deal with punishing the fraudulent. The eighth circle punishes what Virgil would call "normal fraud," which is that violation of trust between people. Examples of normal fraud are hypocrisy and backhanded compliments. The ninth circle, the seat of Dis (sounds fancy), punishes betrayal. These frauds deal with breaking loyalty to family, country, government affiliation, guests, etc. Dante asks Virgil why there are these divisions of Hell. Virgil sums it up saying these last circles are most contrary to God's will and deserve a harsher punishment. Dante thinks it's a great time to ask about usury, why is it a sin? Usury is lending money with interest. Check out Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice. Virgil tells Dante this is a sin because it goes against God's will. The usurer isn't making money by working but from money itself (interest). Dante thinks this makes sense, and the two head toward the first ring of the seventh circle of Hell.
At the beginning of Canto XII, Virgil and Dante must go through a ravine of broken rocks. At the edge, the Minotaur is there. Minotaur = no good, so they sneak past the beast while he's hulking out. As they move farther into the ring, Virgil comments that these rocks hadn't fallen last time he was here. Cool story, Virgil. Coming into the ring, they see a river of blood. Want to know why? Sure you do. The sinners who were violent against other humans are boiling here. Centaurs, half man, half horse guys (you know, the ones from Harry Potter), are on the river bank with bows and arrows. They get the lovely job of shooting sinners who try to rise out of the river too high for their liking. The leader of the Centaurs, Chiron (not Charon), notices Dante moves the rocks which means he's living. Chiron gets his bow and arrow ready to kill him, but Virgil says no, no, no, not in my house, and Chiron obeys. Since the rocks are hard to walk on, Virgil asks Chiron to give them a guide to get through the rocks and blood boiling. Chiron gives them the guide Nessus, and Dante gets to ride on top. Nessus names some of the souls who are here: Alexander (probably the Great one), Dionysius, and Atilla the Hun (makes sense). These souls were tyrannical and were violent on entire populations of people get to be in the deepest part of the river. After crossing at a shallow place, Nessus leaves the two and they go into the second ring (DUN, DUN, DUN).
Canto XIII takes us to the lovely second ring of the seventh circle of Hell. Dante and Virgil stumble upon a forest filled with black, gnarled trees. Dante hears screams of anguish, but can't see who's making the noises. Virgil, knowing all, tells Dante to break a twig off of one of the trees. This can't be good. He breaks the twig and the tree cries out in pain. The sinners in this ring--people violent against themselves (suicide)--have been turned into trees. Virgil tells the tree to tell Dante his story so that Dante will warn those in the living world. The tree/sinner tells Dante that he was Pier della Vigna. He was an advisor to Emperor Frederick, who was a good man. A group of jealous courtiers ruined his name with lies, he was so disgraced that he took his life. Dante asks how they got turned into trees. Pier says that when Minos sent them to this ring, they took root and grew as trees. They're also attacked by Harpies, another lovely creature of Hell who is half woman, half bird. When part of the tree is broken, it causes pain likened to having a limb (no pun intended, sort of) cut off. When it's time for their souls to meet with their bodies, the bodies will reject the souls. The bodies will be hung on the tree/sinner, which will force the sinner to stare at the human life it rejected. Depressing. At this point in the tree's chipper tale, two men come romping through the forest, interrupting the story. One of the men, Jacomo da Sant' Andrea, leaps into a bush. Dogs have been chasing him and they devour him. Dante and Virgil talk to the bush, who is a person. It tells them about the pain that has taken over Florence since it made St. John the Baptist it's patron instead of the Roman god, Mars. The bush tells them that he was a Florentine man who hung himself.
Canto XIV has Dante and Virgil heading to the third ring of the seventh circle of Hell. In this ring, there is a desert of red-hot sand where flakes of fire fall slowly but constantly. This ring, if you remember, is for sinners who were violent against God. This ring has three sections, and the fire falls through all three. The first section is for Blasphemers, who must lie prone on a bank of sand. The fire keeps the sand hot, making sure that the souls are burned on top and bottom. Dante sees a giant whom Virgil says is Capaneus, one of the kings who besieged Themes. Capaneus isn't a happy camper and insists that his punishment will never break his defiance. They reach another river which, you guessed it, is red. Virgil thinks it's time to tell Dante about the source of Hell's waters. Under a mountain on Crete there is a statue of an Old Man. Tears fall from this statue and run through the cracks at his feet. The tears make the Acheron, the Styx, the Phlegethon, and the Cocytus.
Canto XV has Dante and Virgil going into the second section of the third ring of the seventh circle of Hell. You still with me? In this section are the Sodomites, those violent against nature. They have to walk continuously under the falling fire. One of these sinners, Brunetto Latini, recognizes Dante and asks him to walk near the sand for a little so they can talk. Latini predicts that Dante will be rewarded for his political action (if a reward is exile then Latini is right). Dante says that Fortune will do as she pleases. Virgil is happy with this response. Virgil and Dante move on.
Canto XVI still has us in the second section with the Sodomites. Dante sees a group of sinners, and he recognizes three of them as Florentines. The flames have badly burned them and Dante asks their names. Dante remembers them and feels pity for hem. They ask if Florence is still known for valor, but Dante replies that arrogance and greed are prominent in their city. Before leaving the second section, Virgil asks Dante if he can have the cord that Dante wears as a belt. Then Virgil throws one end of it into a dark ravine. Dante stares in disbelief as a beast rises before them.
Canto XVII begins with Dante seeing that the creature has a face of a man, body of a serpent, and two hairy paws. As they approach the beast, Virgil tells Dante to go explore the third section of the third ring of the seventh circle. This section is or Usurers. Dante notices that these sinners must sit under the fire rain with coin purses around their neck. These purses have their family emblems on them. While Dante was gone, Virgil has talked with the beast and it's willing to take them down to the eighth circle of Hell. Dante is leery, but trusts Virgil, so he climbs onto the beast's back. Virgil calls the creature Geryon. Once he does this, Greyon takes off into the air and slowly circles downward. Greyon sets them down at the rocks on the edge of the eighth circle and returns to his home.
This book makes you not want to ever sin again, right? Creepy what some people can imagine. This is good literature though. Tomorrow will be more cantos! YAY!
Cassy
Canto IX takes us to Dante and Virgil waiting for their heavenly help to get into the city of Dis. Dante is a little freaked out by the fact that Virgil, the smooth talker, failed to gain access to the city. Virgil, impatiently waiting for someone, reassures Dante. Suddenly, Dante sees three Furies. Furies are creepy creatures. They're half woman, half serpent. Scary. The Furies laugh and shriek when they see Dante. They call Medusa to come turn him into stone. You know Medusa, right? Lady with snakes for hair. Yeah, her. Virgil covers Dante's eyes so he won't see Medusa's head. A loud noise makes the Furies scramble away. Thankfully for our two friends, they see an angel across the river Styx. Demons and souls are running away from him. He gets to the gates and commands that they be opened for Virgil and Dante. Obviously, they obey and the gates open up to the sixth circle of Hell. There are tombs all around them which glow among the hot flames. This circle of Hell is for the Heretics.
Canto X still has us in the sixth circle of Hell. Dante and Virgil start their wandering around of the sixth circle. Virgil explains to Dante that a particular group, the Epicureans, sought pleasure in life because they thought when the body died the soul died as well. Wrong-o, Epicureans. A voice from one of the tombs speaks to Dante. Virgil says it's Farinata, a Tuscan, who was a politician. Virgil tells Dante to have a chat with him. Not weird at all. Dante and Farinata start talking when another soul (rudely) interrupts them. This person is Cavalcante Cavalcanti (what a fun name). He's the father of one of Dante's besties, Guido. Cavalcante asks Dante why Guido isn't there with them. Dante says that Guido probably didn't like Virgil. Cavalcante thinks that Dante means Guido is dead. He goes back into this tomb, deeply disturbed. Farinata doesn't miss a beat and keeps chatting Dante up about Florentine politics. Dante gathers that the souls in Hell can see future events but not presen ones. Farinata predicts Dante's exile from Florence (he's pretty bitter about that). Farinata confirms that, as part of their punishment, Heretics can only see things in the future. Virgil tells Dante to come back and they walk through the rest of the circle. Farinata worried Dante about his exile, but Virgil comforts Dante.
Canto XI takes our travelers to the lovely seventh circle of Hell, reserved for sinners committing violent crimes. Our friends get to the seventh circle and it smells so bad that Virgil and Dante have to sit at the tomb of Pope Anastasius so they can get acclimated. Virgil, the seer of opportunities, takes this time to talk about the last three circles of Hell. The seventh circle contains those who are violent and is divided into three smaller circles: sinners violent against another person, sinners violent against themselves, and sinners violent against God. You know what's worse than being violent? The sin of fraud. Why, you might ask. Well, fraud breaks the bond of trust, which is a BIG deal. The last two circles of Hell deal with punishing the fraudulent. The eighth circle punishes what Virgil would call "normal fraud," which is that violation of trust between people. Examples of normal fraud are hypocrisy and backhanded compliments. The ninth circle, the seat of Dis (sounds fancy), punishes betrayal. These frauds deal with breaking loyalty to family, country, government affiliation, guests, etc. Dante asks Virgil why there are these divisions of Hell. Virgil sums it up saying these last circles are most contrary to God's will and deserve a harsher punishment. Dante thinks it's a great time to ask about usury, why is it a sin? Usury is lending money with interest. Check out Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice. Virgil tells Dante this is a sin because it goes against God's will. The usurer isn't making money by working but from money itself (interest). Dante thinks this makes sense, and the two head toward the first ring of the seventh circle of Hell.
At the beginning of Canto XII, Virgil and Dante must go through a ravine of broken rocks. At the edge, the Minotaur is there. Minotaur = no good, so they sneak past the beast while he's hulking out. As they move farther into the ring, Virgil comments that these rocks hadn't fallen last time he was here. Cool story, Virgil. Coming into the ring, they see a river of blood. Want to know why? Sure you do. The sinners who were violent against other humans are boiling here. Centaurs, half man, half horse guys (you know, the ones from Harry Potter), are on the river bank with bows and arrows. They get the lovely job of shooting sinners who try to rise out of the river too high for their liking. The leader of the Centaurs, Chiron (not Charon), notices Dante moves the rocks which means he's living. Chiron gets his bow and arrow ready to kill him, but Virgil says no, no, no, not in my house, and Chiron obeys. Since the rocks are hard to walk on, Virgil asks Chiron to give them a guide to get through the rocks and blood boiling. Chiron gives them the guide Nessus, and Dante gets to ride on top. Nessus names some of the souls who are here: Alexander (probably the Great one), Dionysius, and Atilla the Hun (makes sense). These souls were tyrannical and were violent on entire populations of people get to be in the deepest part of the river. After crossing at a shallow place, Nessus leaves the two and they go into the second ring (DUN, DUN, DUN).
Canto XIII takes us to the lovely second ring of the seventh circle of Hell. Dante and Virgil stumble upon a forest filled with black, gnarled trees. Dante hears screams of anguish, but can't see who's making the noises. Virgil, knowing all, tells Dante to break a twig off of one of the trees. This can't be good. He breaks the twig and the tree cries out in pain. The sinners in this ring--people violent against themselves (suicide)--have been turned into trees. Virgil tells the tree to tell Dante his story so that Dante will warn those in the living world. The tree/sinner tells Dante that he was Pier della Vigna. He was an advisor to Emperor Frederick, who was a good man. A group of jealous courtiers ruined his name with lies, he was so disgraced that he took his life. Dante asks how they got turned into trees. Pier says that when Minos sent them to this ring, they took root and grew as trees. They're also attacked by Harpies, another lovely creature of Hell who is half woman, half bird. When part of the tree is broken, it causes pain likened to having a limb (no pun intended, sort of) cut off. When it's time for their souls to meet with their bodies, the bodies will reject the souls. The bodies will be hung on the tree/sinner, which will force the sinner to stare at the human life it rejected. Depressing. At this point in the tree's chipper tale, two men come romping through the forest, interrupting the story. One of the men, Jacomo da Sant' Andrea, leaps into a bush. Dogs have been chasing him and they devour him. Dante and Virgil talk to the bush, who is a person. It tells them about the pain that has taken over Florence since it made St. John the Baptist it's patron instead of the Roman god, Mars. The bush tells them that he was a Florentine man who hung himself.
Canto XIV has Dante and Virgil heading to the third ring of the seventh circle of Hell. In this ring, there is a desert of red-hot sand where flakes of fire fall slowly but constantly. This ring, if you remember, is for sinners who were violent against God. This ring has three sections, and the fire falls through all three. The first section is for Blasphemers, who must lie prone on a bank of sand. The fire keeps the sand hot, making sure that the souls are burned on top and bottom. Dante sees a giant whom Virgil says is Capaneus, one of the kings who besieged Themes. Capaneus isn't a happy camper and insists that his punishment will never break his defiance. They reach another river which, you guessed it, is red. Virgil thinks it's time to tell Dante about the source of Hell's waters. Under a mountain on Crete there is a statue of an Old Man. Tears fall from this statue and run through the cracks at his feet. The tears make the Acheron, the Styx, the Phlegethon, and the Cocytus.
Canto XV has Dante and Virgil going into the second section of the third ring of the seventh circle of Hell. You still with me? In this section are the Sodomites, those violent against nature. They have to walk continuously under the falling fire. One of these sinners, Brunetto Latini, recognizes Dante and asks him to walk near the sand for a little so they can talk. Latini predicts that Dante will be rewarded for his political action (if a reward is exile then Latini is right). Dante says that Fortune will do as she pleases. Virgil is happy with this response. Virgil and Dante move on.
Canto XVI still has us in the second section with the Sodomites. Dante sees a group of sinners, and he recognizes three of them as Florentines. The flames have badly burned them and Dante asks their names. Dante remembers them and feels pity for hem. They ask if Florence is still known for valor, but Dante replies that arrogance and greed are prominent in their city. Before leaving the second section, Virgil asks Dante if he can have the cord that Dante wears as a belt. Then Virgil throws one end of it into a dark ravine. Dante stares in disbelief as a beast rises before them.
Canto XVII begins with Dante seeing that the creature has a face of a man, body of a serpent, and two hairy paws. As they approach the beast, Virgil tells Dante to go explore the third section of the third ring of the seventh circle. This section is or Usurers. Dante notices that these sinners must sit under the fire rain with coin purses around their neck. These purses have their family emblems on them. While Dante was gone, Virgil has talked with the beast and it's willing to take them down to the eighth circle of Hell. Dante is leery, but trusts Virgil, so he climbs onto the beast's back. Virgil calls the creature Geryon. Once he does this, Greyon takes off into the air and slowly circles downward. Greyon sets them down at the rocks on the edge of the eighth circle and returns to his home.
This book makes you not want to ever sin again, right? Creepy what some people can imagine. This is good literature though. Tomorrow will be more cantos! YAY!
Cassy
Tuesday, July 16, 2013
The Inferno: Cantos I-VIII Summary
To start off summarizing The Inferno, I want to give you a little visual so you can understand Dante's Hell. The following infographic contains each circle of Dante's Hell and a short description. Although they won't be discussed in the first cantos, these circles will play a huge role in the story.
Okay, so now you have a little idea of what Dante's Hell is like, let's get into the story. Just a side note, a canto is a section of the poem and it's like a song or chant.
Canto I starts with Dante having a type of mid-life crisis. He's a little ambiguous, using pronouns like "our" which will be discussed later. Essentially, he's strayed from his path and he's lost himself in a dark forest. Dante says that death could hardly be worse than this (foreshadowing, people). Dante is pretty confused about how he found himself in this place. He was asleep when he wandered from the true path and now he's at the bottom of a hill. He looks up at the hill and finds that the summit is lit up, which is a definite contrast to the woods he's in. Like anyone else, he's overjoyed to see light. He tells us that he's gone through a "night of sorrow." In a roundabout way, Dante compares himself to a shipwrecked swimmer who has just found land on a safe beach and turns to look at the threatening waves. Dante starts climbing the hill, but of course, that can't turn out well and an evil beast blocks his way. It's actually just a leopard. Dante backs away. He notices that dawn has broke and he feels a little better, until he comes face to face with a lion and then a she-wolf. He screams (like any normal person would) and runs back down to the hill. At the bottom of the hill he sees a ghost and falls into the fetal position and begs for mercy (you know you'd act that way, too, if you saw a ghost). The ghost starts telling Dante about his life. He's from Mantua, was born during Augustus' reign, and he was a poet. Dante isn't quite so freaked out because he realizes the ghost is the famous Roman poet Virgil. Virgil is Dante's literary idol. Dante asks Virgil to get rid of the she-wolf, but Virgil says that Dante must take another path because the she-wolf is always hungry and always wanting sex. Virgil says don't worry though because in the end she will be killed and sent back to Hell and Italy will return to it's former glory. FYI, the she-wolf is a symbol of greed, which Dante (the poet) thinks is synonymous with Florence (remember that he's on exile as he wrote this and he's disheartened by what he's seen in Florence and how he's been treated). Back to the ghost talking to Dante: Virgil says that Dante should trust him with his life and he'll take him on a journey through Hell, Purgatory, and maybe even Heaven if he's deemed worth. Dante agrees and the descent into the inferno starts.
Canto II Dante and Virgil talk all day. Dante notes that the sun is setting and he must prepare himself for the night. To give him courage, Dante calls to the Muses. Dante is still afraid and asks Virgil why he was chosen for this journey. Virgil tells that story of how he came to get Dante. This is his story: Virgil was in Limbo when a beautiful woman asks him to help her "lost" friend. She wants Virgil's help because he is a persuasive speaker. The lady calls herself Beatrice, and Virgil learns she's helping Dante out of love. Virgil asks how Beatrice managed to come down from Heaven to crummy Hell. Beatrice says God made it to where the atrocities of Hell can't affect her. The orders for Virgil don't come from Beatrice, but from the Virgin Mary. Mary is upset with Dante's predicament that she sobbed for him and sent her best friend, St. Lucia, to carry her message. Beatrice can't do anything more for Dante because she's a woman, so she decides to get a man to do that job. She flatters Virgil and brags about his way with words. Virgil is honored to do the job. After hearing this story, Dante is filled with gratitude. He has a mind-melding moment with Virgil and with that they set off for Hell.
Canto III starts with Dante and Virgil at the Hellgate, which is engraved with a warning about those who enter Hell and the origins of Hell. Dante tells Virgil he doesn't understand the inscription. Virgil doesn't really answer Dante's question (this happens a lot) and tells him to be brave. He then tells Dante that Hell's sinners are people who have lost their intellect (this is an important piece to remember). The first thing Dante notices about Hell is that it is noisy. It's full of suffering, screams, beating hands, pretty much every awful noise you can think of. Frightened, Dante asks Virgil who the people are that scream so loudly. Virgil explains that they're neutrals. Neutrals are people who failed to choose either good or evil in their lives and are punished to live in a place that isn't really Heaven or Hell--it's Limbo. The "coward angels," those that didn't side with God or Lucifer during the Fall, are in Limbo as well. Dante repeats his question, apparently he wasn't listening very well. Virgil is a little annoyed and answers bluntly that these sinners have no hope in death and that their entire existence is driven by envy for any other kind of existence, even one of the true circles of Hell. Virgil's short reply gives the impression that these sinners aren't worth wasting his words over. While looking around, Dante sees the neutral's punishment: various insects sting their naked bodies, irritating them and making them run in big circles under a banner. Dante realizes there are a lot of neutrals. Among the ground, Dante recognizes the one "who made...the great refusal." Scholars have theorizes that this sinner is Pope Celestine V, who abdicated his papal seat just five months after taking office. This resignation led to the election of Pope Boniface VIII, whom Dante disdains. Dante observes a large crowd of people mingling on the banks of a large river. He asks Virgil why they seem anxious to cross the river. Virgil tells Dante to slow his horses and he'll realize what's happening when they get there. "There" is actually the banks of the river Acheron, one of the five rivers of the Greek Underworld. When they arrive there, Virgil doesn't get the chance to explain because an old man with a long, white beard comes up and says that there isn't a chance that Virgil and Dante can get on their boat because only dead people are allowed. This old man is Charon, the man who takes people across the river. Virgil gets a little angry and tersely tells Charon that God sent them and to let them through. Charon has to let them go but he isn't happy about it. Virgil then explains that only sinners have to go through this crossing. Suddenly, an earthquake hits, along with a tornado, and a red light. Dante loses consciousness.
Canto IV (the first circle of Hell--Limbo) begins with Dante waking up at the edge of a large, dark valley, in which he can't see anything. Virgil says let's go although he looks rather pale. Dante thinks Virgil's paleness is from fear and he says nope, not going on. Virgil explains that his complexion isn't from fear but from sympathy for his neighbors. This is Virgil's home--Limbo. Here the sinners sigh, but aren't nearly as loud as the neutrals. These sinners had no control over their salvation. Remember, they weren't baptized. They don't suffer as much as other sinners in Hell. They feel the absence of God's love which results in a constant ache. Otherwise, they roam around in some fields. Yes, this is Hell and yes, this gets worse. Dante, upset by the sinners in Limbo, asks Virgil whether or not these people are allowed to leave and enter Heaven if they are god people. Virgil answers yes, and that he saw this happen. He saw Christ come take people from the Old Testament like Moses, Abraham, Noah, Rachel, and David. Dante sees a fire break up the darkness. The fire is from the glow coming from a castle and men are there. Virgil introduces Dante to Homer, Horace, Ovid, and Lucan. The intellectuals chat and invite Dante in. They go into the castle and see Greek and Roman heroes such as Hector, Aeneas, Caesar, Socrates, and Plato (we read about some of these people!). After some small talk, Virgil and Dante leave. Each step forward takes the two into more and more darkness.
Canto V (the second circle of Hell--Lustful) starts with Dante and Virgil going into the second circle of Hell. Dante notices that this circle is smaller than the first. This is because Hell is shaped like a funnel, with each circle getting smaller. Minos appears. We're told Minos judges where all sinners go. Minos stops his judging to tell Dante and Virgil to be careful of whom they trust. Virgil replies that God is protecting the two, but he's as scared as Dante. The two come to the edge of a cliff and see strong whirlwinds beating the souls of the lustful. Dante compares them to birds because of their helplessness against the wind and their cries. Virgil names some souls trapped here: Semiramis, Dido, Cleopatra, Helen of Troy, Paris, and Tristan. Dante calls to them, wanting to talk. A femal soul speaks to them. She tells her story. She's Francesca da Rimini, an Italian, who is close to a princess in terms of nobility. She was forced into a loveless marriage with Gianciotto Malatesta. She fell for his younger brother, Paolo, and had an affair with him. Gianciotto caught them and killed them both. Francesca tells us that Gianciotto is in a deeper circle of Hell. Dante starts crying (this happens a lot). He asks Francesca how she fell in love and she tells the story. Francesca blames a book that she was reading for her sin. At the end of her story Paolo cries. Dante passes out, unable to handle the tragic story.
Canto VI brings us to the third circle of Hell--Gluttony. Dante wakes up surrounded by new sinners. It's raining. It's always raining in the third circle, but it's not clean water. It's raining polluted rain and hailstones. It smells awful in the third circle. Here, the sinners are so disturbed by the rain that they move back and forth, trying to keep some part of themselves clean and dry. Above these sinners is Cerberus, the huge three-headed dog who guards Hell. Virgil picks up mud and throws it right into Cerberus's mouth and he eats it. Cerberus is a glutton, too. As Dante and Virgil wander around this circle, none of the sinners pays them notice, except a Florentine who recognizes Dante. Dante asks the man to remind him of his name and he is Ciacco and says he is a glutton. He asks Ciacco to talk about the future of Florence (the future he gives is already history to the Dante who is writing). Ciacco says that there will be conflice between Blacks and Whites. The WHites will win a battle and push the Blacks out. The Blacks will return with help from Pope Boniface VIII and easily defeat the Whites, driving them into exile (yeah, that's Dante, too). Ciacco says the parties will ignore cooperation due to pride. Dante asks Ciacco about other famous Florentines and asks where he can find them. Ciacco says they're all in Hell. Ciacco ends with asking Dante to name his name famous in the living world. Virgil says that Ciacco will not rise again until Judgment Day. Dante asks if these sinners' punishment will be better or worse on Judgment Day. In a roundabout way, Virgil says worse because their souls will reunite with their bodies and both body and soul will suffer. They walk towards the next circle and meet Plutus, who is prominent in the next canto.
Canto VII is about the fourth and fifth circle of Hell--Avarice and Prodigality and Wrath and Sullenness. Plutus is crying out to Satan. Although Dante is a little freaked out, Virgil tells him that Plutus has no power to stop them. When they pass Plutus, he falls to the ground. So, what are these sinners doing? Pushing heavy wheels of weights around in a big, endless circle. The Avaricious (greedy people) and Prodigal (reckless spenders) are punished together. They're divided into two groups, one for each half of the circle. When they meet at the middle, they yell out insults. Dante notices that some of the sinners have shaved heads and wonders if they were part of the Church while they were alive. Virgil says yes (Dante does a lot of bashing against the corruption of the Church). Dante hopes to recognize some of the sinners, but Virgil says, no, you won't, because their life has made them filthy and unrecognizable. Virgil gives a long-winded speech about Fortune and Fate. After, they move on to a stream of black water which leads to darker fields and drains into the swamp of Styx. Now the two are in the fifth circle of Hell. Dante sees muddy sinners. These sinners are fighting, trying to rip each other's throats out. These sinners are Wrathful. Virgil tells us that beneath the mud and grime are the Sullen sinners. The Sullen are condemned to chant hymns while in the mud so that their words are only mumbles. Dante and Virgil move on until they find themselves at the base of a tower.
Canto VIII is about the river Styx and the gate of Dis. This tower, like a lighthouse, has been guiding our two friends. As they get closer, Dante sees a flame in the distance. He asks Virgil what it is, but Virgil doesn't answer (again) and tells Dante to look closer. It's a boat. The boatman, like Charon, isn't very happy that Dante is alive. The man's name is Phlegyas. He lets them onto his boat, taking them across the river Styx (that's Hell's river #2, by the way). While catching the ride, Dante asks one of the muddy sinners who he is and why he's so ugly. Pretty polite question to ask, Dante. The sinner doesn't really answer Dante and Dante is tired of people dodging his questions, which is better than his usual response of crying or fainting. Virgil pushes the sinner back into the river after he reaches out to the boat. Virgil then kisses and hugs Dante. Random? Nope. Virgil is happy that Dante isn't sympathizing with the sinners and got mad at them. Virgil tells Dante they are approaching the city of Dis. Dante is awed by how red everything is. Everything is red because of the flame burning in the city, signaling that we're in lower Hell. Virgil is pretty much saying everything is going to be worse than anything Dante's already seen. They get to the gates and a thousand angry sinners are trying to stop Dante from getting through because he's alive. Virgil has a chat with them to the side. Dante can't hear what they're saying because he's a little preoccupied with the sinners and wants to go home. The people of Dis agree to open their gates, but only for Virgil. Dante has to go back. Hearing this news, he freaks out. Who would want to walk through that by themselves. He pleads with Virgil to come back with him, and Virgil tells Dante he'll take care of it. Dante is waiting while Virgil does some smooth talking, but then the gates slam in his face. He's failed (important moment, folks). Virgil goes on a tirade about the sinners but Dante says it'll be okay. Virgil tells Dante that this has happened before at the entrance of Hell, when Christ went to get those Old Testament guys, and that an angel is on his way to help them.
Not a happy, go-lucky story is it? But it's super good and interesting. Hopefully you've enjoyed the first eight cantos and can't wait for the next!
Until then,
Cassy
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