Inferno Canto 34

Canto 34

Cristina Wang

Summary

Virgil and Dante came to the last round of the Hell. Dante shrank behind Virgil because of the wind. The shades were all covered. Some were lying, some were vertical, some were like bows and turned their faces toward their feet.

They came to Dis. The emperor of the dolorous kingdom who had 3 faces made the Cocytus frozen. Each of its three mouths was breaking one sinner: Judas, Brutus, and Cassius, who were three of the sinners with the greatest punishment.

Virgil then explained to Dante,” you have your feet on a little sphere that makes the other face of the Judecca. When here is morning, there is evening. The ice fell down from heaven and dry land, which previously extended over here, he took the sea as a veil and came to our hemisphere because of fear.”

They entered on a hidden path and climbed, and came back to the earth again, finished their journey in the Hell.

Sin / Punishment

There is no sin or punishment in this Canto.

 

Characters

Satan	Great wings beating like windmill is the source of the icy wind of Cocytus, the exhalation of all evil.
Judas (Judecca)	One of the sinners who with greatest punishment: head inside, waving legs outside.
Brutus	Heads were below, hung from the black muzzle, didn’t say a word.
Cassius	Heads were below, seemed so powerfully built.

 

Higher-order Questions

1.     What did Dante mean when he said,” I did not die and I did not remain alive”? What did he try to express?

2.     Why did Dante mention the emperor of the dolorous kingdom?

 

Multiple choice questions

1.     Where did Dante and Virgil come through this Canto?

A.    Dis

B.     Cocytus

C.     Styx

2.     Who was the emperor of the kingdom?

A.    Satan

B.     Brutus

C.     Judas

3.     Why did the emperor of the kingdom go to the Hell?

A.    Lustful

B.     Avaricious

C.     Against God.

4.     How many faces did the emperor have?

A.    1

B.     3

C.     7

5.     What are beneath the faces?

A.    Necks

B.     Hands

C.     Wings

6.     What made the lake of Cocytus frozen?

A.    Three winds went out from the emperor.

B.     The temperature was low.

C.     Demons in the lake controlled it and made it frozen.

7.     Where were the three sinners of the emperor’s body?

A.    On his shoulders.

B.     In his mouth.

C.     On his head.

8.     Which mouth was Judas in?

A.    The left one

B.     The central one

C.     The right one

9.     What was Lucifer look like when Dante saw him again?

A.    Extended his legs upward.

B.     His body was inside the pit.

C.     He was naked.

10.  What is the other face of the sphere?

A.    Judecca

B.     Malebolge

C.     Styx

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.

Inferno Canto 18

Canto 18

Cristina Wang

Summary

Dante and Virgil came to a place in the 8^th circle called Malebolge. There is a pit in the middle of the center of this evil field. At this place, Dante and Virgil got off from Geryon’s back and they moved to the left. They saw naked sinners on this side came with their faces toward them and the other side people went with them. There were horned demons with great whips and beat those sinners from behind.

At this time, Dante saw Venedico Caccianemico, who induced Ghisolabella to do the marchese’s will. They kept walking and saw Jason who used tokens and elaborate words deceived Hypsipyle, the young girl who had deceived all the other women.

They kept walking and came to a place and heard people whimpering. They climbed on the back of the arch and saw people immersed in dung. At this place, Dante saw Alessio Interminei of Lucca, who came to the hell because of flattery. They also saw Thais, a whore who with disordered hair scratching herself with her shitty nails.

Characters

Venedico Caccianemico	Induced Ghisolabella to do the machese’s will
Jason	Courage and wit robbed the Colchians of the ram. Deceived Hypepsipyle with tokens and elaborate words and left her there pregnant and alone.
Alessio Interminei of Lucca	Flattery that his tongue was never cloyed.
Thais	A whore who with disordered hair scratching herself with shitty nails.

 

High-order Discussion questions

1.     Why Dante’s speech compels Venedico Caccianemico?

2.    Why the punishment is sinners immerse in dung?

 

Multiple choice questions

1.     What the place they reached called?

A.    Malebolge

B.    Styx

C.    Acheron

2.    Who took Dante and Virgil here?

A.    Cerberus

B.    Geryon

C.    Brunetto Latini

3.    What is at the exact center of the evil field?

A.    A lake

B.    A pit

C.    A bonfire

4.     How many valleys are there in the bottom of the round belt?

A. Eight

B. Nine

C. Ten

5.     What is the sin of the eighth circle?

A. Fraud

B. Avaricious

C. Violent

6.     What is the punishment of the 8^th circle?

A. Sinners walk on the wood bridge in the fire.

B. Sinners are eaten by horned demons.

C. Sinners are beat by horned demons with great whips.

7.    Who is Venedico Caccianemico?

A. The one whose tongue never stopped saying flattering words.

B. The one who deceived many women.

C. The one who induced Ghisolabella to do the marchese’s will.

8. Which one is not one of the sins of Jason?

A. Against God.

B. Rob the Colchians of the ram.

C. Deceive Hypsipyle by using tokens and elaborate words.

9. What is the punishment for flatterers?

A. Sinners were eaten by demons.

B. Sinners immersed in dung.

C. Sinners kept striking each other.

10.    Who is mentioned in this Canto?

A. Filippo Argenti

B. Thais

C. Cavalcante de’ Cavalcanti