Inferno Test

Front 1

Lustful

Back 1

Sin of succumbing to desire. Buffeted around by violent storm. This symbolizes the power of lust to blow one about needlessly and aimlessly.

Front 2

Gluttonous

Back 2

Consuming food to point of waste. Lie supine, flailed by cold and filthy rain, torn at by Cerberus. They roll around in the muck to avoid getting hit. The gluttons lie here sightless and heedless of their neighbors, symbolizing the cold, selfish, and empty sensuality of their lives

Front 3

Wrathful

Back 3

Fight each other on surface of River Styx. Repeat Sin

Front 4

Heretics

Back 4

Taught/followed idea that good=moral happiness and denied the immorality of the soul in the afterlife. Live in burning stone coffins

Front 5

Violence against others

Back 5

tyrants, immersed in Phlegethon (river of blood)

Front 6

Violence against self

Back 6

suicides turn into strange trees, squanders hounded and rent by bit**es. Squandered own bodies. Suicides damaged by running squanderers

Front 7

Violence against God

Back 7

Blasphemers lie on fiery sands, sodomites walk together on sands beneath rain of fire, Usurers sit beneath rain of fire with purses (with family emblems) around necks.

Front 8

Panderers

Back 8

Pimps, driven by demons to march forever. Whipped and driven by demons. Used passion of others to do bidding, now demons use them.

Front 9

Flatterers

Back 9

Exploited people using language, submerged in excrement, value of words they produced (now eating the s*** they spoke in life

Front 10

Seducers

Back 10

Led others astray. Whipped and driven by demons. Used passion of others to do bidding, now demons use them.

Front 11

Simoniacs

Back 11

Selling holy offices or positions for money. Head first in holes in rock (like baptismal fonts), feet burned

Front 12

Diviners

Back 12

sorcerers, astrologers, false prophets. Heads twisted backward. Twisted nature of magic, failure to see into future.

Front 13

Hypocrites

Back 13

wear glittering lay cloaks that weigh them down, made of lead. Actions appear good, but they are actually weighed down.

Front 14

Thieves

Back 14

Bitten by snakes and lizards, they keep changing. Identity theft!

Front 15

False counselors

Back 15

Advise to commit fraud, in individual flames. Concealed in the shadows, have no guidance to help them.

Front 16

Schismatics

Back 16

Hacked at by sword demon, wounds repair by the time they walk back. bodies divided like they did in life.

Front 17

Counterfeiters (metals, others, coins, words)

Back 17

Counterfeiters, perjurers, impostors, alchemists. Seen as disease on society. Disease on society!
(Alchemists covered in scabs, etc)

Front 18

Traitors (against relatives, against country, against benefactors)

Back 18

To relatives are immersed in ice up to faces. Against country or party (gnaws on hand of partner). Against guests lies supine, covered except face, eyes sealed by frozen tears. Souls immediately damned, demons take their bodies’ place. Their relationship to guests is voluntary one, very bad. Benefactors- encapsulated in ice, impossible to talk to.

Front 19

Francesca

Back 19

second circle (lust). fell in love w/ husband’s brother, Paolo. Tried turning the idea of a smile (fr/ Lancelot+Guinevere’s story) into a concrete kiss (tried to turn Paolo--> Lancelot)

Front 20

Filippo Argenti

Back 20

Fifth circle (wrathful). Florentine Black Guelf, took Dante’s property after exile. Dante quarrels with him

Front 21

Farinata

Back 21

Sixth circle (heretics--say soul dies with the body) Ghibelline, opposed destruction of Florence. Predicts Dante’s return won’t be easy

Front 22

Cavalcante de Cavalcante

Back 22

Sixth circle (heretics). father of Beatrice (Farinata’s daughter)’s husband, Guido. Flees at Dante’s hesitation to talk of Guido.

Front 23

Pier della Vigna

Back 23

Seventh circle, 2nd ring (violent against self). Counselor to King Frederick II, others envious of his position. Commits suicide when jailed and blinded.

Front 24

Brunetto Latini

Back 24

Seventh circle, 3rd ring, second zone (sodomites). Dante’s teacher+mentor. Dante leans over to talk to him “as if in reverence”. Doesn’t go on his path.

Front 25

Venedico Caccianemico

Back 25

Eighth circle, first pouch (panders and seducers). hides from Dante, sells his sister to a Marquis to gain political advantage (pimping)

Front 26

Pope Nicholas III

Back 26

Eighth circle, third pouch (simonists). Confuses Dante with Pope Boniface VII, whom he expected to come a few years later. Accused by Dante+compared to idoler b/c he accepted gold+silver.

Front 27

Graffiacane

Back 27

Eighth circle, fifth pouch (barrators). One of 10 Malebranche, grabs Ciampolo from the tar.

Front 28

Jason

Back 28

Eighth circle 1st pouch (seducers). seduced, impregnated,+abandoned Hypsipyle, girl who helped him on Lemnos. Cheated on wife, Medea.

Front 29

Thais

Back 29

Eighth circle, 2nd pouch (flatterers) prostitute who said she was enormously grateful to her lover (despite her profession)-- lied about man's sexual performance in bed.

Front 30

Tiresias

Back 30

Eighth circle, fourth pouch (diviners). Ancient, blind seer of Thebes, transformed into a woman+back when he struck 2 snakes. No one believed his predictions (curse from the Gods)

Front 31

Michael Scot

Back 31

Eighth circle, fourth pouch (diviners). Scientist, occultist+astrologist. Magic fraud, tried to see/change future

Front 32

Ciampolo

Back 32

Eighth circle, fifth pouch (barrators). Navarrene barrator, tricks Malebranche into letting him go back into pitch. Claimed he could get other sinners to talk to Dante.

Front 33

Caiaphas

Back 33

Eighth circle, 6th pouch (hypocrites). High Priest under Pontius Pilate. Suggested to kill Jesus, said it was for the greater good, to keep the peace.. Special Punishment: staked out across path, people walk over him.

Front 34

Fra Catalano

Back 34

Eighth circle, 6th pouch (hypocrites). Knight of St Mary (Jovial Friar), Bologna. Order formed to reconcile political conflicts, factually just focused on pleasures.

Front 35

Vanni Fucci

Back 35

Eighth circle, 7th pouch (thieves). illegitimate son of Black leader in Pistoia. Stole treasury of San Jacopo (church), someone else was falsely blamed.

Front 36

Ulysses

Back 36

8th circle, 8th pouch (Fraudulent counselors). together with Diomedes, stole statue of Athena from Troy, also responsible for Trojan horse.

Front 37

Guido da Montefeltro

Back 37

8th circle, 8th pouch (Fraudulent counselors). Military strategist, became monk in later life, Pope asked for advice on how to defeat political rivals, promised to absolve him in advance. Guido agrees, advises Pope to offer false truth. On death, a cherub shows that one can’t sin and repent at the same time, takes him to hell.

Front 38

Geri del Bello

Back 38

8th circle, 9th pouch (sowers of scandal and schism-- caused disunity). Ancestor of Dante, notorious

Front 39

Capocchio

Back 39

8th circle, 10th pouch. burned for alchemy.

Front 40

Bertran de Born

Back 40

8th circle, 9th pouch (schismatics) Incited Prince Henry to Rebel against King Henry II (gave bad counsel to king--> made son and father enemies)

Front 41

Gianni Schicchi

Back 41

8th circle, 10th pouch.(Counterfeiter of Other’s Persons) Florentine impersonator, impersonated somebody’s dead uncle, wrote new will, giving them favorable will, gave self good mule.

Front 42

Master Adam

Back 42

8th circle, 10th pouch (falsifier). Englishman, counterfeited Florentine coins, had less gold, burnt at stake. Has drposie--longs for one drop of water

Front 43

Myrrha

Back 43

Eighth circle, 10th pouch, 2nd zone(falsifier). Disguised herself as another woman to sleep with her father. Bites+quarrels with Gianni Schicchi

Front 44

Sinon

Back 44

Eighth circle, 10th pouch, 4th zone (falsifiers). Greek in the Trojan war. Craftily convinces the Trojans to bring in Trojan Horse.

Front 45

Nimrod

Back 45

9th circle. Ruled Babylon, tried to build tower of Babel, brought on punishment of tongues, speaks incomprehensible language. Treachery

Front 46

Bocca Degli Abati

Back 46

9th circle, 2nd ring (traitors to homeland/party) Dante pulls his hair out. Guelph noble, cut off hand of Guelph standard bearer, caused defeat.

Front 47

Uggolino

Back 47

Ghibelline leader, betrayed Pisa to Guelphs, returned with the help of Guelphs. Left because of conflict, Ruggieri invited him back on promise of reconciliation, then imprisoned and starved him. Ate his children. Traitor to Homeland/Party. Gnaws on Bishop Ruggieri’s hand.

Front 48

Archbishop Ruggieri

Back 48

Promised reconciliation with Uggolino, then betrayed and imprisoned to him. Traitor to homeland/party.

Front 49

Mohammed

Back 49

Founder of Islam, Dante was likely confused and thought him to be an apostate Christian. Punished as schismatic.

Front 50

Fra Alberigo

Back 50

Jovial friar, killed relative and relative’s son at banquet. Placed in hell before death because of how bad his sin was. Traitor to guest.

Front 51

Branca d’oria

Back 51

Ghibelline, killed father in law at banquet. Placed in hell before death because of how bad his sin was. Traitor to Guest.

Front 52

Malacoda

Back 52

lit. “evil tail”. Leader of the Malebranche

Front 53

Judas

Back 53

betrayer of Jesus for betraying him. Constantly gnawed and raked by Lucifer’s center head.

Front 54

Lucifer

Back 54

lit. “the light-bearer”. God's favorite angel before Lucifer betrayed him. Thrown down to center of Hell, eats the worst traitors to their benefactors (Cassius, Brutus, Judas). Three-headed. batlike wings whose beating freezes the Cocytus, cries blood.

Front 55

Cerberus

Back 55

three-headed dog. Guardian of third circle, he attacks the gluttonous. Virgil gets past him by throwing a clod of mud at him.

Front 56

Plutus

Back 56

guardian of the fourth circle (avaricious+prodigal). a wolf, demon of avarice.

Front 57

Dis

Back 57

city of Dis, next to the river Styx. Holds the Heretics+the violent. Inhabitants initially refused to let Dante or Virgil in. Erinyes/Furies guard it with Medusa.

Front 58

Phlegyas

Back 58

boatman of the Styx

Front 59

Malebranche

Back 59

lit. “evil claws”. 10 demons who guard the barrators in the eighth circle, fifth pouch

Front 60

Harpies

Back 60

live in the seventh circle, second ring. Eat off the trees of the suicidal, cause them pain. (monsters in shape of birds with heads of women)

Front 61

Epicurus

Back 61

Greek philosopher, believed fulfillment could be found by finding pleasure

Front 62

Pope Boniface

Back 62

Placed in eight circle, with simonists. Pope Nicholas III denounces him when Dante visits. Also known for promising to absolve Guido if he would give him fraudulent council. This does not work.

Front 63

Geryon

Back 63

Three natured monster, symbol of fraud, sits just before Malebolge (8th circle)

Front 64

Charon

Back 64

boatman across River Acheron, separating Ante-Hell from Limbo.

Front 65

Cacus

Back 65

centaur, stole from herd, so separated from others. Guards thieves.

Front 66

Capaneus

Back 66

Greek mythological figure, boasted that not even Jove can kill him, blasphemer (one of 7 against Thebes)

Front 67

Minos

Back 67

Sits at very top, before second circle. wraps tail to determine where to send people

Front 68

Beatrice

Back 68

Woman whom Dante loves, died when she was 24, Dante keeps thinking about her, she inspires & guides him, he never actually know her so their relationship is of the mind.

Front 69

Old Man of Crete

Back 69

Statue of Manon Mount Ida in Crete, made up of metals, tears flow down to gell, symbolizing suffering of humanity. Become 4 rivers.

Front 70

“good of the intellect”

Back 70

Your brain’s ability to resist evil temptations. loss=when you know what you’re doing is wrong but you continue along the same path/you fail to understand why it’s wrong. Good of intellect=REASON

Front 71

Four-fold method of interpretation

Back 71

1.literal
2. metaphorical/allegorical
3. moral/tropological
4.spiritual/anagogical

Front 72

The path

Back 72

The road to heaven, it is narrow, the path to hell is wide, don’t lose the path, losing the path is the same as losing the good of the intellect

Front 73

The woods

Back 73

part where Dante has strayed from the path. Not a good place to be, there are lions and other scary things

Front 74

Dante’s reaction to the sinners

Back 74

Sympathy is a common theme, (as well as crying and fainting) declines as the story goes on and Dante is hardened. He really hates specific groups such as Simonists, goes on rants against them, doesn’t sympathize at all, probably influence of Dante the writer

Front 75

Guelphs and Ghibellines

Back 75

two competing factions in Florence. Ghibellines favored the authority of the Holy Roman Emperor, while Guelphs supported the Pope. Dante was a Guelph. Guelphs further divided into Whites+Blacks.

Front 76

Virgil’s role

Back 76

The guide of Dante, makes fun of Dante , Appointed by heaven, flawed, but still a father figure to Dante, (master etc...)

Front 77

Hierarchical structure of Inferno

Back 77

Antehell: failure to use good of the intellect (Neutrals)/ know the good of the intellect (limbo).
-First six circles: personal loss of the good of the intellect, yielding to a personal vice. Styx lies between fifth circle+...
-Wall of Dis. Guards Heretics: choose to look away from right path.
-Phlegethon (river of blood). Betw/ heretics+the violent
-Geryon betw/ violent and the Malboges (10 evil pouches, fraud: drags someone else/other ppl off the path)
-well of Cocytus below Malboges. Holds the traitors to kin, country, guests+ benefactor (those who go against over their own supporters/hospitality)

Front 78

Caina

Back 78

1st part of ring nine, traitors to kin. Named after Cain, biblical son of Adam who killed his brother Abel. Those punished here are immersed in ice up to their faces, heads are bent down.

Front 79

Antenora

Back 79

2nd part of ring nine, traitors to homeland. Named after the Trojan Antenor who opened the gates of Troy in order for the Greeks to spare him.

Front 80

Judecca

Back 80

Deepest part of Hell, home to traitors to benefactors. Named after Judas. These sinners are wholly encapsulated in ice, so Dante and Virgil have no opportunity to chat here.

Front 81

Limbo

Back 81

First Circle of Hell, home to worthy people who did not have a chance to be baptised. Includes many Ancient Greek & Roman philosophers, scientists, & some leaders. Also includes Saladin and two other Muslim scientists.

Front 82

Neutrals

Back 82

Ante-Hell, home to those who did nothing bad but also nothing good. Flies & wasps bite their faces, blood eaten by worms at their feet.

Front 83

River Acheron

Back 83

The very first river, between ante-hell and limbo. Charon is the boatman.

Front 84

River Styx

Back 84

River in front of the walls of Dis. Holds the wrathful and the sullen, Phlegyas is the boatman on it.

Front 85

River Phlegethon

Back 85

Located at seventh circle, violent against neighbors (i.e. tyrants, conqueres) immersed in int.It is a boiling river of blood. Nessus the centaur guides Dante & Virgil across.