To belong in the first ring of the seventh circle is to be violent, more accurately a tyrant or murderer. As Dante and his guide, Virgil, journey through this section, the first creature they come across is the Minotaur. This creature spends all of eternity restricted to a barren area of Hell, biting itself out of pure rage. The only way to get past it is to distract it with its own anger. In the story, Virgil taunts it by saying, “Be off, you beast; this man who comes has not been tutored by your sister; all he wants in coming here is to observe your torments” (12.19-21). The Minotaur harbors so much uncontrollable rage with nothing else around to take it out on, so it has no choice but to hurt itself as they run past. Perhaps certain individuals
