Jim’s Guide to The Inferno Cone Map Steps Map The Poem

ABANDON EVERY HOPE, ALL YE WHO ENTER!

Hint: You might use the margins for the names and locations of notable people we meet on our journey.

Beginning of Reading Assignment #1—Video Guided Tour

Descent into Dante’s the Inferno

F Our Journey Begins inò

The Dark Wood on Thursday, April 7, 1300—the day before Good Friday.

It is here that we meet Virgil, our guide.

& Please read Canto I--all and Canto II--Lines 49-75; 136-142

F At the entrance to the Inferno is written

DAbandon every hope, all you who enter H

& Please read Canto III--all

F Next we come to ò

The Vestibule —The Cowards –The Uncommitted—spiritual fence-sitters; fence-sitting angels

& Please read Canto III--all

F We next cross ò

The River Acheron and meet Charon, the boatman

& Please read Canto III--all

F And find ourselves in ò

Circle I: (Limbo) Neutrals (pre-Jesus, un-baptized, etc.) and virtuous heathens

& Please read Canto IV--Lines 1-63; 85-90; 110-123; 148-151

F As we approach the second circle, we see ò

Minos who determines a sinner’s placement in hell

& Please read Canto V--Lines 1-69; 121-142

F We then descend through the circles below, exploring each in turn ò

Circle II-The Lustful—passion

& Please read Canto V--Lines 1-69; 121-142

Circle III—The Gluttons—excess

& Please read Canto VI--Lines 1-21; 100-115

Circle IV—The Prodigal and Misery—the hoarders

& Please read Canto VII--Lines 1-81; 100-130

Circle V—The Wrathful—anger

& Please read Canto VII--Lines 1-81; 100-130

F We next cross ò

The River Styx

& Please read Canto VIII--Lines 1-51; 76-130

F And enter the ò

City of Dis

& Please read Canto VIII--Lines 1-51; 76-130 and Canto IX--Lines 1-97

F We find ourselves in Circle VI ò

Circle VI--The Arch-Heretics

& Please read Canto X and Canto XI introductions

End of Reading Assignment #1

Beginning of Reading Assignment #2—Video Guided Tour, Part 2

Cone Map Steps Map The Poem

F We next cross ò

The River Phlegethon—the River of Boiling Blood

& Please read Canto XII--Lines 46-126

F Where we find ourselves in Circle VII ò

Circle VII

D The violent against neighbors

& Please read Canto XII--Lines 46-126

D The violent against self—Wood of Suicides

& Please read Canto XIII--Lines 1-129

D The violent against God—The Burning Plain

& Please read Canto XIV--Lines 13-39; Canto XV and Canto XVI introductions

F We approach ò

The Great Barrier and Geryon

& Please read Canto XVII--Lines 1-9; 25-27; 79-136

F Passing through the barrier, we enter Circle VIII, Malebolge, a circle with a series of ten pouches or recesses ò

& Please read Canto XVIII--Lines 1-39; 67-136

Circle VIII Malebolge--a series of ten pouches or recesses

Malebolge—below are the pouch numbers and sins

I. Panderers and seducers – profit from the weaknesses of others

II. flatterers

& Please read Canto XVIII--Lines 1-39; 67-136

III. simonists—buyers and sellers of church offices (spiritual power)

& Please read Canto XIX--all

IV. diviners—fortune tellers

& Please read Canto XX--Lines 1-15

V. barrators—much like the simonists— buying and selling of church preferments –favors

& Please read Canto XXI--Lines 1-57 and Canto XXII--Lines 13-42

VI. hypocrites

& Please read Canto XXIII--Lines 1-67

VII. thieves

& Please read Canto XXIV and Canto XXV introductions

VIII. false counselors

& Please read Canto XXVI--Lines 13-142 and Canto XXVII introduction

End of Reading Assignment #2

Beginning of Reading Assignment #3--Video Guided Tour--Part 3

Cone Map Steps Map The Poem

Malebolge continued—below are the pouch numbers and sins

IX. makers of discord

& Please read Canto XXVIII--Lines 28-51; 112-142 and Canto XXIX introduction

X. impersonators (liars, counterfeiters, Potiphar’s wife)

& Please read Canto XXX--Lines 91-123

F We next descend to ò

Circle IX—(put on a warm coat!)

F And cross ò

Cocytus—the Frozen Lake where we find

& Please read Canto XXXI--Lines 7-48; 82-96

D Traitors to Kindred

& Please read Canto XXXII--Lines 1-51

D Traitors to Country

& Please read Canto XXXII--Lines 1-51

D Traitors to Guests

& Please read Canto XXXIII--skip, except for introduction

D Traitors to Masters

& Please read Canto XXXIV--all

F Finally, we see ò

SATAN at the center of the Earth

& Please read Canto XXXIV--all

F We climb down Satan to his waist and then up G his legs and emerge in the morning sunlight of Easter Sunday where our journey ends.J

Cone Map

Dante’s Inferno—Who in Hell is That?

Dante    A thirty-five-year-old man, spiritually lost and wandering away from the True Way—the path of righteousness and of God. Dante has become weak and is in need of spiritual guidance. Luckily, a guide is sent to him and he embarks on a spiritual journey to learn the true nature of sin.

Virgil    A “shade” residing in the Limbo section of Hell, also known as the first circle. Virgil is a poet of antiquity, much admired by Dante, and the perfect guide for Dante’s journey. He is said to represent human reason and wisdom. Virgil is a strong and competent guide but needs Divine intervention to complete the journey safely.

The number following each name refers to the canto in which the character first appears.

Achilles (12)    One of the heroes of the Trojan War.

Antaeus (31)    Giant slain by Hercules.

Argenti (8)    Florentine, bitter enemy of Dante’s.

Attila (12)    Chief of the Huns. Called “the Scourge of God.”

Beatrice (2).    The inspiration for Dante’s work. She entreats Virgil to save Dante.

Bocca (32)    Traitor of Florence. On one occasion he betrayed the Guelphs and caused their defeat.

Boniface VIII, Pope (27)    Dante’s bitter enemy.

Brunetto Latini (15)    Distinguished scholar, beloved friend, and advisor to Dante.

Brutus (34)    One of the conspirators in the murder of Caesar.

Caiaphas (23)    The high priest who influenced the Hebrew Council to crucify Jesus.

Capaneus (14)    One of the seven against Thebes. Defied Zeus and was killed by him.

Cassius (34)    One of the conspirators who killed Julius Caesar.

Calvacanti, Cavalcante dei (10)    Father of the poet Guido who is Dante’s friend.

Guido    His son. The father inquires about him in Hell.

Celestine V, Pope (3)    Resigned the papal throne, thus making way for Pope Boniface VIII.

Cerberus (6)    The three headed hound: guards one of the gates of Hell.

Charon (3)    The Ferryman of the river Acheron in Hell.

Ciacco (5)    A notorious glutton: his name means “the hog.”

Cleopatra (5)    Queen of Egypt; mistress of Caesar and Mark Antony.

Dido (5)    Queen of Carthage. She was Aeneas’ lover.

Diomede (26)    Companion of Ulysses in his last voyage.

Donati family (28)    A politically powerful family who caused the split in the political parties.

Erichtho (9)    Sorceress who conjured Virgil’s spirit to help Dante.

Farinata (10)    A prominent leader of the Ghibelline party who defeated Dante’s party.

Francesca da Rimini (5)    Lover of Paolo whose brother slew them in the act of adultery.

Frederick II, Emperor (10)    Attempted to unite Italy and Sicily.

Geri del Bello (29)    Cousin to Dante whose murder was not avenged.

Geryon (17)    A monster who represents fraud.

Gianni Schicchi (3)    Aided a member of the Donati family in falsifying a will.

Harpies (13)    In mythology, birds with the faces of women.

Jason (28)    Leader of the Argonauts in their quest for the Golden Fleece.

Judas Iscariot (34)    One of the twelve disciples. He betrayed Jesus.

Mahomet (28)    Founder of the Islamic religion.

Malabranche (21)    Demons who punish the barrators. The name means “evil-claws.”

Malacoda (21)    One of the Malebranche. His name means “evil tail.”

Medusa (9)    One of the Gorgons. The sight of her head filled with snakes turned men to stone.

Minotaur (12)    A monster with a bull’s body and a man’s head.

Nessus (12)    One of the Centaurs, killed by Hercules.

Nicholas, III, Pope (19)    Successor to Pope John XXI; accused of Simony.

Paolo da Rimini (5)    Committed adultery with Francesca, his brother’s wife.

Phlegyas (8)    Ferryman of the river Styx in Hell.

Plutus (7)    God of riches.

Potiphar’s Wife (30)    Falsely accused Joseph of trying to seduce her.

Ruggieri, Archbishop (10)    Traitor who starved Ugolino and his sons.

Satan (34)    Also called Lucifer, Dis, and Beelzebub, he is the “Emperor of Hell.”

Scala, Can Grande ella (1)    Dante’s friend and protector in exile.

Sinon the Greek (30)    Accused of treachery during Trojan War.

Thaïs (18)    A courtesan who flattered her lover excessively.

Ugolino, Count (33)    Imprisoned with his sons and starved to death.

Ulysses (26)    Legendary hero of Homer’s Odessey.

Vanni Fucci (24)    A thief who shocks Dante with his obscenity.

Vigne, Pier delle (13)    He was unjustly imprisoned for graft and committed suicide.

Jim Roth’s Website

SINS and CIRCLES

The River Acheron

Circle I: Limbo—no sin, unpunished, virtuous pagans

E Sins Against SELF

Circle II: Lustful—carnal, sexual

Circle III: Gluttonous--food

Circle IV: Avaricious—hoarders and wasters

Circle V: Wrathful, Sullen, Slothful

THE WALLS OF DIS

E Sins Against OTHERS

Circle VI: Heretics—“false” doctrines

Circle VII: Violence (to violate) against others or self

THE ABYSS

Circle VIII: Malebolge

Bolgia

1. Panders, Seducers—pimps, porn

2. Flatterers—false praise to get something “sucking up”

3. Simoniacs—selling of pardons for $

4. Fortunetellers

5. Grafters (Barrators)—false lawsuits, selling positions in church, state

6. Hypocrites

7. Thieves

8. Evil Counselors—knowingly misleading another

9. Sowers of Discord--anarchists

10. Flasifiers—liars

THE GIANTS’ WELL

Circle IX: Cocytus

Traitors

1. To kindred

2. To country

3. To guests

4. To masters

SATAN (DIS)—at the heaviest point—the center of the Earth

Jim Roth’s Website

World Literature 271  

Reading Assignment ONE by Canto--Dante's the Inferno

Preparation:  

• Please read the first paragraph on p. 1456--Dante Alighieri
• Next please read the two paragraphs on pp.1458-1459, the first beginning with the words "As a sign . . ." and the second beginning with the words "In addition to these . . ."
• Then please study the picture on p. 1457

You are now ready for the descent into THE INFERNO

First, be sure to read the introduction to each canto

Canto I--all

Canto II--Lines 49-75; 136-142

Canto III--all

Canto IV--Lines 1-63; 85-90; 110-123; 148-151

Canto V--Lines 1-69; 121-142

Canto VI--Lines 1-21; 100-115

Canto VII--Lines 1-81; 100-130

Canto VIII--Lines 1-51; 76-130

Canto IX--Lines 1-97

Canto X--skip, except for introduction

Canto XI--skip, except for introduction

Jim Roth’s Website

World Literature 271  

Reading Assignment TWO by Canto--Dante's the Inferno

First, be sure to read the introduction to each canto

Canto XII--Lines 46-126

Canto XIII--Lines 1-129

Canto XIV--Lines 13-39

Canto XV--skip, except for introduction

Canto XVI--skip, except for introduction

Canto XVII--Lines 1-9; 25-27; 79-136

Canto XVIII--Lines 1-39; 67-136

Canto XIX--all

Canto XX--Lines 1-15

Canto XXI--Lines 1-57

Canto XXII--Lines 13-42

Canto XXIII--Lines 1-67

Canto XXIV--skip, except for introduction

Canto XXV--skip, except for introduction

Canto XXVI--Lines 13-142

Canto XXVII---skip, except for introduction

Canto XXVIII--Lines 28-51; 112-142

Jim Roth’s Website

World Literature 271  

Reading Assignment THREE by Canto--Dante's the Inferno

First, be sure to read the introduction to each canto

Canto XXIX--skip, except for introduction

Canto XXX--Lines 91-123

Canto XXXI--Lines 7-48; 82-96

Canto XXXII--Lines 1-51

Canto XXXIII--skip, except for introduction

Canto XXXIV--all

PURGATORIO (1409-1425)

Canto I--all

Canto II--Lines 1-45

Canto XXI--skip, except for introduction

Canto XXII--skip, except for introduction

Canto XXIV--skip, except for introduction

Canto XXVI--skip, except for introduction

Canto XXVII--all

Canto XXX--all

PARADISO (1426-1429)

Canto XXXIII--all

The First Seven Circles