Canto 11

Canto XI

            Canto 11 is about the seventh circle, which symbolizes violence.  When Dante and Virgil arrive to the edge of the seventh circle the stench is so bad that they have to sit and adjust to it before they can move on. When they enter Dante notices that there is a tomb that holds a Pope Anastasius. This pope denied the divinity of Christ. Dante must also be really brave to put a pope in hell because he lives Florence. As they are waiting to adjust to the horrible smell, Virgil starts to explain hell and how it works. Virgil starts talking about the 7^th circle. He tells Dante that the 7^th circle is subdivided into three smaller parts. One of them is violence God and Nature. Another is violence against oneself and the last one is violence against one’s neighbor. Those who commit sins of violence against there neighbors are in the first sub circle.  Examples of these are murderers, plunderers, and robbers. The second sub circle is filled with people who commit suicide. The sinners who fill up the third sub circle in the seventh circle of hell are the usurers and blasphemers. After Virgil explains that to Dante, he then tells him the worst sin humans can commit. Virgil says it is fraud. Virgil tells Dante that the last two levels of hell are those who commit sins of fraud. In the eighth level commit sins of normal fraud. For an example, thieves, hypocrites, panderers, etc. Then Virgil explains to Dante that the 9^th circle is filled with those who commit sins of really evil and cruel fraud. Dante then asks Virgil, why aren’t all sinners punished the same? Virgil reminds Dante of Aristotle’s Ethics. Vigil tells him that God takes sins of malice and violence a lot more serious than sins of incontinence. He tells him that God punishes the malice and violence a lot crueler because there sin is harsher than those of incontinence. Virgil also clarifies the sin of usury. He says that usury goes against God’s will. “Usurers, in making a living by generating money unnaturally, violate nature and thereby sin.” http://www.shmoop.com/inferno/canto-xi-summary.html

Sins

            There sins of the 7^th circle were sins of violence. The 7^th circle is split between three sub circles within the 7^th stage of hell. The first one is violence against oneself. The second sub circle is violence against neighbors, and last but not least is violence against God.

Punishment

Well all we know now that the stench and smell of the air is really bad. It was so bad that Virgil and Dante had to adjust to the smell before they could move on. The Pope was also in a tomb. We do not know all of the punishments in the 7^th circle of hell because they haven’t been explored yet.

Contropasso

            There wasn’t any contropasso, because in this canto they were taking a break from going through hell.

Characters

Dante- the main character in the story and is the one being lead through hell.

Virgil- is Dante’s favorite poet, and is leading Dante through all 9 circles of hell.

They also see the tomb of Pope Anastasius.

Discussion Questions

1.    Why do you think that the stench and the smell of the 7^th circle is so bad?

2.    Why do you think Dante put a Pope in hell and how brave does he have to be to do that?

Multiple choice

1.    What circle are they in?

a. 3^rd

b. 5^th

c. 6^th       d. 7^th

     2. Why do they wait behind a tomb?

 a. They are scared

 b. It smells terrible

 c. They are tired

 d. They don’t want to go

3.    Who’s tomb do they see?

a.    Virgil’s

b.    Paolo’s

c.    Pope john

d.    Pope Anastasius

4.    How many sub circles does level 7 have?

a.    4

b.    2

c.    5

d.    3

5.    What is one of the sub circles?

a. Violence against there neighbors

b. Violence against suicide

c. Violence against God

d. All of the above

6.    What is the sin in the 7^th circle?

a.    Violence

b.    Fraud

c.    Lustful

d.    Pagans

7.    Do we know the punishment of the 7^th circle yet?

a.    yes

b.    no

c.    maybe

d.    none of the above

 

8.    What does God hate the most?

a.    Violence

b.    fraud

c.    Lust

d.    Greed

9.    What is the only punishment that we know of in the 7^th amendment?

a.    It smells bad

b.    They don’t eat

c.    They are constantly beaten

10. What do Virgil and Dante do in canto 11?

a.    Virgil explains hell to Dante

b.    They eat

c.    They explore the 7^th circle

d.    They take a nap