Inferno Canto 31

Canto 31

Cristina Wang

Summary

Dante and Virgil came to a place named Central Pit in Malebolge. There were giants in the Central Pit which Dante thought were great towers. They saw Nimrod first, one of those giants whose evil thought the world no longer speaks one language.

Dante and Virgil kept walking and they met another giant named Ephialtes who tried to prove his power against Jove, so did Briareus.

The third person they met was Antaeus, who grasped Virgil and Dante to the final floor of the Hell.

 

        Giant of Nimrod               Antaeus

 

Characters

Nimrod	Builder of the Tower of Babel, thought the world no longer speaks one language.
Ephialtes	Against Jove, performed great deeds when the giants made the gods afraid, he never moves then.
Tituos/Typhon	Could give what here was desired.
Antaeus	Took Virgil and Dante to the final floor of the Hell.

 

Sin and punishment

There is no sin in this Canto.

The punishment is they are sent to the Hell.

 

Analysis

“These are the sons of earth, embodiments of elemental forces unbalanced by love, desire without restraint and without acknowledgment of moral and theological law. Now they are returned to the darkness of their origins, guardians of earth’s last depth.”

                                          ——John Ciardi

 

Higher-order questions

1.     Why Dante mentioned tongue and Achilles at the beginning of this Canto?

2.     Why there were so many giants in the Hell?

 

Ten multiple choice questions

1.     What is the Central Pit?

A.    A great well.

B.    A great mine.

C.    A great oil field.

2.     Where is the Central Pit?

A.    On a mountain.

B.    Near a river.

C.    In a field.

3.     What drew Dante’s eyes straight to one place?

A.    A explode

B.    A sound of a horn

C.    A shawty.

4.     What did Dante see?

A.    Great towers

B.    A shawty.

C.    Giants and Titans.

5.     Who is Nomrod?

A.    The builder of the Tower of Babel.

B.    The giant who drew Dante and Virgil to the final floor.

C.    The giant who against God.

6.     Why was Ephialtes punished?

A.    Against God.

B.    Against others.

C.    Against himself.

7.     How tall was Antaeus?

A.    5 ells

B.    7 ells

C.    9 ells

8.     Where did Antaeus take Virgil and Dante to?

A.    To the heaven.

B.    To the final floor of the Hell.

C.    To the purgatory.

9.     Who were Tityos and Typhon?

A.    People who could bring desire.

B.    People who could let sinners relive.

C.    People who took Virgil and Dante to the final floor of the Hell.

10.  Where was Antaeus?

A.    In a pit.

B.    In a river.

C.    On a mountain.