The Structure of Dantes Hell

Vestibule of Hell: The Uncommitted

Circle 1: Limbo
Circle 2: The Lustful
Circle 3: The Gluttons
Circle 4: The Avaricious and the Prodigal
Circle 5: The Wrathful and the Sullen
Circle 6: Heretics
Circle 7: The Violent
Circle 8: The Fraudulent
Circle 9: The Treacherous
 Ante Hell and Neutrals (Outer Circle)
Outer Rim of Hell

they must chase constantly after a
blank banner. Flies and wasps
Uncommitted, souls of
continually bite them, and writhing
people who in life did worms consume the blood and tears
nothing, neither for that flow from them.
good nor evil Significant people:
(indecisive, no real Fallen angels
beliefs, those who dont Celestine V
choose sides) Pontus Pilate
CROSSING THE ACHERON RIVER WITH
CHARON (HADES)
 Circle 1:
Outskirts of Hell Proper Punishment:None
Neutral, lifeless place Suspended
Souls of unbaptized infants (sospesi) between
Virtuous pagans or the states of
honorable men who lived
condemnation and
before Christ
salvation
Limbo is a somewhat
pleasant place, with fields Significant people:
and a castle Virgil, the guide,
Denied God's presence for Homer, Aristotle,
eternity Saladin, Euclid
LIMBO

Virgil, the guide; Homer;

Aristotle; Saladin, Euclid
 CIRCLE 2: LUST
The Carnal Sinners
LUSTFUL, SENSUAL
Minos: Judge of Hell
Each sinner confesses
to him
Uses his tail to
indicate the position
of Hell the sinner is to
occupy
Warns Dante not to go
any further
Punishment:
They are the first ones to be truly
punished in Hell
Exist in an eternal storm, blown
about by the winds of a
hurricane
Reflects sexual sin and
punishes it
Significant people:
Helen of Troy, Achilles
Cleopatra, Paris, Tristan
Francesca and Paolo
(Murdered lovers)
MINOS: THE JUDGE
 CIRCLE 3: GLUTTONY
The Carnal Sinners: Punishment:
The GLUTTONOUS Plagued with filthy
Sensual rain, sleet or frozen
gratification rain, snow
Ate and drank Wallow in mud and
unrepentantly to filth
excess Cerberus claws the
Cerberus, 3- sinners making their
headed dog, souls howl in pain
guards and Significant people:
punishes Ciacco
CERBERUS: THE GUARD & THE PUNISHER
 CIRCLE 4: THE AVARICIOUS & PRODIGAL
The Carnal Sinners: Punishment:
The AVARICIOUS Deadlocked in a battle of
(HOARDERS - opposites
avaricious or miserly
Push heavy stones in
who hoarded
opposite direction
possessions)
why do you hold?
The PRODIGALS
(SPENDERS - who why do you spend?
squandered their Significant people:
possessions) Allister Toomey, groups
Plutus (Greek god of of bridge builders and
wealth) demon-guard destroyers
PLUTUS (Greek god of wealth) demon-guard
 CIRCLE 5: WRATHFUL & SULLEN
Punishment:
The River STYX
Wrathful (ruthlessly attacking
WRATHFUL / SULLEN one another)
STYX Float in Styx
Snarl and rend
The lower parts of Hell themselves
are contained within Sullen (stew below the surface
the walls of the city of of the muddy swamp)
Dis Submerged in Styx
Significant people: Phlegyas,
Punished within Dis are Filippo Argenti, Fallen
active (rather than Angels, Furies and Medusa,
passive) sins Heaven's Messenger
 Dante and Virgil
Dante and Virgil
Leave the circles of
outer Hell Met by furies
cross the Styx Messenger of
Ferried by Phlegyas grace opens
Reach gate of inner gates for them
Hell Enter gates of
City of Dis lower Hell
Fallen angels hover
above gates
THE WRATHFULS
 CIRCLE 6: HERESY
HERETICS Punishment:
Deniers of Flaming tombs
immortality Significant people:
Cavalcanti (Father
people who didnt
of Dantes friend),
believe in life Epicurus, Emperor
after death, Frederick II, The
heaven or hell Cardinal, Farinata
PHLEGETHON degli Uberti,
Ghibilline leader
THE HERETICS
 CIRCLE 7: VIOLENCE
Outer ring: This ring houses the violent against people
and property (against neighbors, tyrants, murderers
Middle ring: In this ring are the suicides (the violent
against self); unique among the dead, the suicides will
not be bodily resurrected after the final judgment.
Squanderers, violent against their possessions
Inner ring: Here the violent against God (blasphemers)
and the violent against nature (sodomites and, as
explained in the sixth circle, usurers)
 CIRCLE 7: VIOLENCE (OUTER RING)
VIOLENT Punishment:
Those who Submerged in boiling river
harmed others of blood
(MURDER) Centaurs shoot arrows at
any who come up for relief
Chiron is leader
Significant people:
Alexander the Great,
Attila the Hun, Ezzelino
 Circle 7 (Middle Ring)
Punishment:
VIOLENT
Gloomy wood
Those who
harmed self Damned are trees
(SUICIDE) Harpies nest in trees
Self-destructive Those self-destructive:
Chased by devil dogs
and torn to pieces
Significant people:
Pier della Vigne
 Circle 7 (Inner Ring)
VIOLENT Punishment:
Those who Scorching desert
were guilty of Flakes of flame
BLASPHEMY falling
Lie down
Significant people:
Capaneus
 Circle 7 (Inner Ring)
VIOLENT Punishment:
Those who Scorching desert
were guilty Flakes of flame falling
of SODOMY Continuously
running
Significant people:
Brunetto Latini
 Circle 7 (Inner Ring)
Punishment:
VIOLENT Scorching desert
Those who Flakes of flame falling
were guilty of Sit, bent over
USURY Eyes fixed on money
pouches around their
Lending necks
money at any Significant people:
price Jacopo Rusticucci
Guido Guerra
Teggahiaio Aldobrandi
THE VIOLENT
 CIRCLE 8: FRAUD
The fraudulentthose guilty of
deliberate, knowing evilare
located in a circle named
Malebolge ("Evil Pockets"),
divided into ten Bolgie, or
ditches of stone, with bridges
spanning the ditches:
THE FRAUDULENT
 Circle 8 (Malebolge): Pouch 1
FRAUD Punishment:
PANDERERS
Whipped by
Sell people for
sexual favors horned demons
pimps Significant people:
SEDUCERS Venedico
Gain sexual
favors for self
Jason
 Circle 8 (Malebolge): Pouch 2
FRAUD Punishment:
FLATTERERS Immersed in
also exploited excrement
other people, this
Significant
time using
language
people:
Thais
 Circle 8 (Malebolge): Pouch 3
FRAUD Punishment:
SIMONIACS Immersed headfirst
in holes
(committed simony)
Feet are burning
Those who
Significant people:
corrupt the
Pope Nicholas III
things of God
Other popes
 Circle 8 (Malebolge): Pouch 4
FRAUD
Punishment:
SOOTHSAYERS
MAGICIANS Heads on
AUGERS backwards
(Sorcerers, astrologers, and false Significant
prophets)
people:
Those who tried to
make the mind of God Manto
subject to their will
 Circle 8 (Malebolge): Pouch 5
FRAUD Punishment:
GRAFTERS Boiling pitch
Deceiving demons
Political (Malebranche) poke
anyone who tries to rise
corruption with pitchforks
Significant people:
Senator of Lucca
Ciampolo of Navarre
 Circle 8 (Malebolge): Pouch 6
Punishment:
FRAUD
Leaden cloaks
HYPOCRITES
Walk around narrow
track
Significant people:
Caiaphas
Annas
monks
 Circle 8 (Malebolge): Pouch 7
Punishment:
FRAUD
Fiery serpents
THIEVES Wrapped around souls
Hands bound behind them
Bite souls who then burst into
flames
Significant people:
Vanni Fucci, Agnello,
Buoso, Puccio, Francesco de
Cavalcanti
 Circle 8 (Malebolge): Pouch 8
FRAUD Punishment:
EVIL Enflamed souls
ADVISERS (or Significant people:
evil councilors
Ulysses
Steal counsel
Diomedes
of God for
Guido da Montefeltro
low purposes
 Circle 8 (Malebolge): Pouch 9
FRAUD Punishment:
DIVIDERS Mutilated
Tear apart what God has Wounds are healed
meant to be united after making the full
SOWERS OF DISCORD circult
Religious discord Wounds reopened by
Political discord devil with sword
Family Discord
Significant people:
In the ninth Bolgia, a sword- Muhammad
wielding demon hacks at the Mosca
sowers of scandal and schism Bertran de Born
 Circle 8 (Malebolge): Pouch 10
FRAUD Punishment:
FALSIFIERS Madness
ALCHEMISTS Ills of mind and body
Significant people:
IMPERSONA-
Gainni Schicchi
TORS
Capocchio
COUNTER-
Master Adam
FEITERS
Potiphers wife
LIARS
Sinon
 CIRCLE 9: TREACHERY
Round 1 is named Cana, Traitors to
kindred
Round 2 is named Antenora, Traitors to
political entities, such as party, city, or
country
Round 3 is named Ptolomea Traitors to
their guests are punished here
Round 4 is named Judecca Here are the
traitors to their lords and benefactors
 Circle 9: Caina
TRAITORS Punishment:
Encased in ice up to
To KIN neck
Heads bent down
Significant people:
Camicion de Pazzi
Two brothers
 Circle 9: Antenora
TRAITORS Punishment:
To CITY Encased in ice up to neck
Heads turned upward
Significant people:
Bocca
Sassol
Ugolino
Archbishop Ruggieri
 Circle 9: Tolomea
TRAITORS Punishment:
Frozen in ice
To GUESTS
On backs, heads up
Tears freeze in eye
sockets
Significant people:
Friar Alberigo
Branca DOria
 Circle 9: Judecca
TRAITORS Punishment:
To BENE- Completely sealed under ice
FACTORS Satan fixed in the middle, waist
deep in ice, continuously chews
up three with his mouths
Significant people:
Judas
Brutus
Cassius
THE TREACHEROUS
 In the very centre of Hell, condemned
for committing the ultimate sin
(personal treachery against God), is
Satan.
Satan is described as a giant,
terrifying beast with three faces, one
red, one black, and one a pale yellow:
 Each face has a mouth that chews
on a prominent traitor, with Brutus
and Cassius
In the central, most vicious mouth is
Judas Iscariotthe namesake of
Judecca and the betrayer of Jesus
 The two poets escape Hell by
climbing down Satan's ragged fur,
passing through the centre of the
earth and they emerge in the other
hemisphere beneath a sky studded
with stars.
 Abandon all
hope, all ye who
enter