Canto 4

Harrowing of hell during Christs Crucifixion he was supposed to go and save

some of the great leaders of the past such as Abraham and David
Only time that someone has been saved from hell
7 liberal arts allusion the 7 towering walls and gates
Shade of our first father (Adam) also brought back to heaven during the
harrowing of hell
Elysium is the only part of hell that is depicted as peaceful
Epic characteristics
o Epic cataloguing of the people in hell
o Epithet for Aristotle as well as Adam and Virgil

Cano 5

2nd circle and that punishment is a whirlwind that people cannot escape from
Minos is half man and half bull with a long tail
He wraps himself with his tail in order to show which part of hell that a person
goes to
Biblical allusion to the wide road that everyone goes into which might not be
the right choice
Dante sees a whole bunch of people and Virgil answers him with Dido and
Cleopatra
Achilles fell in love with King Priams daughter and was trapped
This field has a lot of people that have died because of love
If you confess your sin of lust then you will be forgiven
He faints again
Allusions
o The whirlwind
o Representing lust as the first sin because of Adam and Eve

Canto 6

Gluttony circle has a whole bunch of feces and pee

Cerberus is the beast in this level and Virgil and throws the muddy stuff into
his mouth
One of the Gluttons (Chiaco or hog) rises up and says do you remember me
because I was born before you were dead
But Dante cant recognize him because he is too fat
Chiaco says that one party (white wealth) are in power, but the blacks gain
power later
There are two just men, but nobody listens to them because everyone is
overpowered by the three sparks (envy, greed, and pride)
Some of the people still want their name remembered and ask Dante to tell
earth that they are still there
Allusions
o Edict of judgment/ the end of the world
o Cerberus is the three headed dog similar to the Aenied

Gluttons they are sunk in what they produced

Canto 7

4th circle is also a muddy bath as well

Contains the things bought by money
There is mostly corrupt clergymen, pope and cardinals who didnt use their
money in a righteous way
Hoarders and wasters are in separate semi-circles and must push a boulder
around
Dames Fortune the lady that replaces the three fates
5th circle has the sullen and the wrathful
The wrathful are fighting each other and the sullen are sunk into the mud
Sullen are the people that are below the water and they are the ones that on
earth they were not appreciative