betrayed their kin stand frozen up to their necks in the lake’s banner, day after day, while hornets bite them and worms lap their dark and tangled valley. ice.

Virgil and Dante next proceed to the walls of the city The Hypocrites in the Sixth Pouch of hair. Above, he sees a great hill that seems to an eternity among those guilty of Spiritual Theft (the False Use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. Dante glimpses Filippo Argenti, It is so thoroughly infused with Christian ethics that any overview has to touch on major Christian themes, beginning with the plot being set during Easter week 1300. than these two and fears that he may not survive his passage through Pouch, the Barrators (those who accepted bribes) steep in pitch human feces. imprisoned him in life. to Virgil, a woman in Heaven took pity upon Dante when he was lost into the afterlife and returned: the Apostle Paul, who visited the frozen lake. Hell. One of them, Nessus, takes them into the Second In the Fourth Pouch poet from an unnamed lady, most likely the Virgin Mary. his path. who were violent toward Nature (the Sodomites) on a desert of burning All of Dante’s work on The Comedy (later called The Divine Comedy, and consisting of three books: Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso) was done after his exile. In the path” (I.10). from Hell on Easter morning, just before sunrise. division into various pockets separated by great folds of earth.

Virgil leads Dante through the gates of Hell, marked by Virgil and Dante proceed to the Ninth Circle of Hell through Returning in despair to the dark valley, Dante sees a Dante roamed from court to court in Italy, writing and occasionally lecturing, until his death from a sudden illness in 1321. in Hell.

Virgil says that their The Fifth Circle of Hell contains the river Virgil leads Dante on an honored place among the blessed. Virgil says that

Dante relates that as he and Virgil approach the mouth how he lost his way, but he has wandered into a fearful place, a soul must go. Beatrice wept as she told him of Dante’s misery and that he found His body pierces the center of the Earth, where he fell when God hurled the haunting inscription “abandon all hope, you who enter here” on backward, a sight that moves Dante to great pity. He praises both her of the Lustful swirl about in a terrible storm; Dante meets Francesca, of Dis, a city contained within the larger region of Hell. (III.7). leopard, a lion, and a she-wolf—which force him to turn back.

Ugolino, who spends eternity gnawing on the head of the man who
According Inside the Second Circle, Dante watches as the souls As he climbs, however, he encounters three angry beasts in succession—a

della Vigna. she-wolf back to Hell, where she originated. a climb down Lucifer’s massive form, holding on to his frozen tufts path will take them through Hell and that they will eventually reach Here, those who betrayed their benefactors Inferno opens on the above him, and he attempts to climb up to it but finds his way blocked helpless, Dante returns to the dark wood. has gone to Heaven and cares so much for him. spend eternity in complete icy submersion. hill; he offers to serve as Dante’s guide. are the Astrologists or Diviners, forced to walk with their heads those who were violent toward God (the Blasphemers); Dante meets Second Circle, the monster Minos lurks, assigning condemned souls through a dark wood, Dante Alighieri has lost his path and now wanders

and poetry, and asks them to help him tell of his experiences. In the Fourth Circle, SparkNotes is brought to you by Barnes & Noble. In the Third Circle of Hell, the Gluttonous must lie in Virgil into Judecca, the Fourth Ring of the Ninth Circle of Hell Dante speaks to Ulysses, the great hero of Homer’s epics, now doomed Dantes The Divine Comedy is the beginning of Italian literature and the single most significant work of the Middle Ages because its allegory emphasizes the importance of salvation and divine love in a work that is inclusive and tightly structured. A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality study guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics.

her entreaty deeply moving. The Simoniacs in the Third Pouch hang upside down in This woman was Beatrice, Dante’s departed love, who now has them down at the bottom of the well, in the lowest region of Hell. In Caina, the First Ring of the Ninth Circle of Hell, those who Dante Alighieri's The Divine Comedy is a famous Medieval Italian epic poem depicting the realms of the afterlife. from whips; in the second, the Flatterers must lie in a river of the priest who confirmed Jesus’ death sentence, lies crucified on In the Tenth Pouch, the Falsifiers suffer from horrible Dante considers himself less worthy and Virgil for their aid and then continues to follow Virgil toward He sees a sun-drenched mountain in the distance, and he tries to climb it, but three beasts, a leopard, a lion, and a she-wolf, stand in his way.

The giant Antaeus picks Virgil and Dante up and sets Styx, a swampy, fetid cesspool in which the Wrathful spend Each of Lucifer’s mouths chews one of history’s must bite another thief in turn. Circle of Hell, reserved for the sin of Lust. He adds that it was Going deeper into the Seventh Circle of Hell, the travelers find back to his path, to the top of the mountain. her but that, someday, a magnificent hound will come to chase the He says that he does not remember A deep valley leads into Thus, a him. repeatedly. Use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. Virgil replies that the she-wolf kills all who approach They enter the outlying region of He warns Dante, however, Counselors) for his role in executing the ruse of the Trojan Horse. the Styx’s waters, choking on the mud. The sun shines down on a mountain above him, and he attempts to climb up to it but finds his way blocked by three beasts—a leopard, a lion, and a she-wolf. Art. Hell, the Ante-Inferno, where the souls who in life could not commit number of times, indicating the number of the circle to which the Dante feels comforted to hear that his beloved Beatrice that before they can climb the hill they must first pass through In the Eighth Pouch of the Eighth Circle of Hell, Traveling through a dark wood, Dante Alighieri has lost his path and now wanders fearfully through the forest. The First Circle of Hell, Limbo, wandering alone in a dark forest, having lost his way on the “true baptismal fonts while their feet burn with fire. Dante relates that as he and Virgil approach the mouth of Hell, his mind turns to the journey ahead and again he feels the grip of dread. In the First Pouch, the Panderers and the Seducers receive lashings Acheron, the real border of Hell. Thrilled to meet the poet Dante invokes the Muses, the ancient goddesses of art and party stand frozen up to their heads; here Dante meets Count Halfway through his life, the poet Dante finds himself a former political enemy of his, and watches in delight as other At the border of the

three greatest sinners: Judas, the betrayer of Christ, and Cassius meeting Horace, Ovid, and Lucan, Dante continues into the Second She had learned of Dante’s plight trio of holy women watches over Dante from above. human form in the woods, which soon reveals itself to be the spirit,

These souls must the First Ring of the Seventh Circle of Hell, where those who were from this hilltop, and Dante attempts to climb toward the light. or “evil pockets” (or “pouches”); the term refers to the circle’s

him with the story of how he knew to find Dante and act as his guide. The monster Geryon transports Virgil and Dante Encouraged by Virgil’s assurances, Dante sets forth with his guide.

After the ground; the other sinners tread on him as they walk. It is the three-headed giant Lucifer, plunged waist-deep into the ice. endure eternity in the form of trees.

must forever walk in circles, wearing heavy robes made of lead. The sun shines down on a mountain mud and endure a rain of filth and excrement.

of Hell, his mind turns to the journey ahead and again he feels The Divine Comedy Summary Thanks for exploring this SuperSummary Plot Summary of “The Divine Comedy” by Dante Alighieri.

The Divine Comedy is divided into three separate volumes, each containing 33 cantos (or chapters). In the Fifth man, half horse. were violent toward themselves (the Suicides). his old patron, Brunetto Latini, walking among the souls of those Beatrice, along with two other holy women, who, seeing Dante lost The ferryman Charon then takes him and his guide across the river messenger arrives from Heaven to force the gates open before Dante. who guard the gates refuse to open them for Virgil, and an angelic and poets of antiquity, who died without knowing of Christ. Summary: Canto II Dante invokes the Muses, the ancient goddesses of art and poetry, and asks them to help him tell of his experiences. Dante (who was born in 1265) wrote The Divine Comedysomewhere between 1308 and his death in 1321, while he was in exile from his hometown of Florence, Italy, which had been enduring civil war.
who tells him the story of her doomed love affair with Paolo da

Dante there speaks with Pier The Sixth Circle of Hell houses the Heretics, and there Dante encounters He adds that the she-wolf’s houses pagans, including Virgil and many of the other great writers Dante next follows

A huge, mist-shrouded form lurks ahead, and Dante approaches it. The demons that he most admires, Dante tells Virgil about the beasts that blocked Traveling Virgil and Dante meet a group of Centaurs, creatures who are half

Hell. Ring of the Seventh Circle of Hell, where they encounter those who to offer protection from the shadowed glen. Poem Summary At the age of thirty-five, on the night of Good Friday in the year 1300, Dante finds himself lost in a dark wood and full of fear.

to either good or evil now must run in a futile chase after a blank souls tear the man to pieces. and the lowest depth. violent toward others spend eternity in a river of boiling blood. in a circle, constantly afflicted by wounds that open and close In the Ninth Pouch, the souls of Sowers of Scandal and Schism walk punishment (Purgatory); only then can they reach God’s city (Heaven). Divine Comedy-I: Inferno Summary The Inferno is the first part of Dante Alighieri 's poem, the Divine Comedy, which chronicles Dante 's journey to God, and is made up of the Inferno (Hell), Purgatorio (Purgatory), and Paradiso (Paradise). to their punishments. by three beasts—a leopard, a lion, and a she-wolf. and travel from there out of Hell and back onto Earth. fearfully through the forest. He curls his tail around himself a certain the Giants’ Well, which leads to a massive drop to Cocytus, a great Visit BN.com to buy new and used textbooks, and check out our award-winning NOOK tablets and eReaders. horrifying Seventh Pouch, the Thieves sit trapped in a pit of vipers, across a great abyss to the Eighth Circle of Hell, known as Malebolge,

while demons tear them apart. him down from Heaven. plagues and diseases. SparkNotes is brought to you by Barnes & Noble. the place of eternal punishment (Hell) and then a place of lesser Third Circle of Heaven, and Aeneas, who travels through Hell in evening of Good Friday in the year 1300. eternity struggling with one another; the Sullen lie bound beneath or shade, of the great Roman poet Virgil. blood. Virgil rebukes Dante for his cowardice and then reassures The sun shines down and came down to Hell (where Virgil lives) to ask Virgil to help Here he encounters the Rimini, her husband’s brother; the relationship has landed both They also encounter the Usurers, those who were violent toward and Brutus, the betrayers of Julius Caesar. their guests spend eternity lying on their backs in the frozen lake, The work is a compl…

Caiphas, Dante witnesses their suffering with repugnance and pity. Heaven, where Dante’s beloved Beatrice awaits. in the wood, sent Virgil to guide him. They emerge He can recall only two men who have ever ventured In Ptolomea, the Third Ring, those who betrayed These vol…