9 Circles of Hell (Dante's Inferno)
- First Circle (Limbo)
- Second Circle (Lust)
- Third Circle (Gluttony)
- Fourth Circle (Greed)
- Fifth Circle (Anger)
- Sixth Circle (Heresy)
- Seventh Circle (Violence)
- Eighth Circle (Fraud)
- Ninth Circle (Treachery)
- First Circle: Limbo. ...
- Second Circle: Lust. ...
- Third Circle: Gluttony. ...
- Fourth Circle: Greed. ...
- Fifth Circle: Anger. ...
- Sixth Circle: Heresy. ...
- Seventh Circle: Violence. ...
- Eighth Circle: Fraud.
What are the Nine Circles of Hell Dante?
- 2.1 Overview.
- 2.2 First Circle (Limbo)
- 2.3 Second Circle (Lust)
- 2.4 Third Circle (Gluttony)
- 2.5 Fourth Circle (Greed)
- 2.6 Fifth Circle (Wrath) 2.6.1 Entrance to Dis.
- 2.7 Sixth Circle (Heresy)
- 2.8 Seventh Circle (Violence)
What are the circles of Hell in Dante Inferno?
We offer this short guide to the nine circles of Hell, as described in Dante’s Inferno. First Circle: Limbo. Second Circle: Lust. Third Circle: Gluttony. Fourth Circle: Greed. Fifth Circle: Anger. Sixth Circle: Heresy. Seventh Circle: Violence. Eighth Circle: Fraud.
What does Dante see in each level of Hell?
Each level is reserved for different types of sinners. The Inferno has three beast that represents the three types of sin. The she wolf represents self-indulgence. The lion represents violence, and the leopard represents fraud. Within Hell, there is nine circles that are divided into these three levels. The sixth circle and the seventh circle ...
What are Dante levels of Hell?
What level of Hell is cocytus? In Inferno, the first cantica of Dante’s Divine Comedy, Cocytus is the ninth and lowest circle of The Underworld. What river does Dante Cross in Hell? the Acheron river In Dante’s Inferno, the Acheron river forms the border of Hell. Following Greek mythology, Charon ferries souls across this river to Hell.
What are the 9 circles of Hell and their punishments?
More severe sins are punished in the lower circles of hell and a corresponding punishment is inflicted for each:Circle two - lust.Circle three - gluttony.Circle four - greed.Circle five - wrath.Circle six - heresy.Circle seven - violence.Circle eight - fraud.Circle nine - treachery.
Are there 7 or 9 circles of Hell?
As a Christian, Dante adds Circle 1 (Limbo) to Upper Hell and Circle 6 (Heresy) to Lower Hell, making 9 Circles in total; incorporating the Vestibule of the Futile, this leads to Hell containing 10 main divisions.
What is Circle 9 in Dante's Inferno?
Treachery was the ninth Circle of Hell. This last circle was dedicated to those people who betrayed their loved ones, friends, best friends, countries, cities, guests and even their masters.
Is there a 10 circle of Hell?
“According to Dante's Inferno, there were supposedly only 9 circles of hell: Limbo, Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Anger, Heresy, Violence, Fraud, and Treachery. After what I've been through in the last week trying to procure a visa in Bolivia, I am officially recognizing the 10th circle of hell: the Bolivian Bureaucracy.
What are the 9 spheres of Heaven?
Dante's nine spheres of Heaven are the Moon, Mercury, Venus, the Sun, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, the Fixed Stars, and the Primum Mobile.
Is there an 9th sin?
Greed (Latin: avaritia), also known as avarice, cupidity, or covetousness, is a sin of desire like lust and gluttony.
What is the punishment in circle 8?
In Dantes Inferno circle 8, the eighth pit, is for those who are considered counselors of fraud and brought about the downfall of others; they intentionally misled others for their own gain by feeding them lies. Their punishment is to be burned in flames here in the 8th circle of Hell.
Who is the gatekeeper of purgatory?
At the shores of Purgatory, Dante and Virgil meet Cato, a pagan who was placed by God as the general guardian of the approach to the mountain (his symbolic significance has been much debated).
What is the 9th circle?
The Ninth Circle of Hell is a frozen lake and, like Dante's vision of Hell in general, the Ninth Circle itself is divided into rings of increasingly bad sections with the worst in the center. The people who are sent to the Ninth Circle are people who have betrayed the trust of someone or something close and special.
Who is in Dante's first circle of hell?
Dante’s First Circle of Hell is resided by virtuous non-Christians and unbaptized pagans who are punished with eternity in an inferior form of Heaven. They live in a castle with seven gates which symbolize the seven virtues. Here, Dante sees many prominent people from classical antiquity such as Homer, Socrates, Aristotle, Cicero, Hippocrates, ...
Who were the heretics in Dante's Sixth Circle?
Here, Dante talks with a couple of Florentines – Farinata degli Uberti and Cavalcante de’ Cavalcanti – but he also sees other notable historical figures including the ancient Greek philosopher Epicurus, Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II, and Pope Anastasius II. The latter, however, is according to some modern scholars condemned by Dante as a heretic by mistake. Instead, as some scholars argue, the poet probably meant the Byzantine Emperor Anastasius I.
How many Bolgias are there in the circle of Hell?
This circle of Hell is divided into 10 Bolgias or stony ditches with bridges between them. In Bolgia 1, Dante sees panderers and seducer. In Bolgia 2 he finds flatterers. After crossing the bridge to Bolgia 3, he and Virgil see those who are guilty of simony.
What are the 4 rounds of Hell?
Those who committed more severe sin are deeper within the ice. Each of the 4 Rounds is named after an individual who personifies the sin. Thus Round 1 is named Caina after Cain who killed his brother Abel, Round 2 is named Antenora after Anthenor of Troy who was Priam’s counselor during the Trojan War, Round 3 is named Ptolomaea after Ptolemy (son of Abubus), while Round 4 is named Judecca after Judas Iscariot, the apostle who betrayed Jesus with a kiss.
What are the two groups in the Fourth Circle of Hell?
They are divided into two groups – those who hoarded possessions and those who lavishly spent it – jousting.
What is the second circle of hell?
Second Circle (Lust) In the Second Circle of Hell, Dante and his companion Virgil find people who were overcome by lust. They are punished by being blown violently back and forth by strong winds, preventing them from finding peace and rest.
What are the three rings in the 7th circle of Hell?
Here, Dante sees Alexander the Great (disputed), Dionysius I of Syracuse, Guy de Montfort and many other notable historical and mythological figures such as the Centaurus, sank into a river of boiling blood and fire. In the Middle Ring, the poet sees suicides who have been turned into trees and bushes which are fed upon by harpies. But he also sees here profligates, chased and torn to pieces by dogs. In the Inner Ring are blasphemers and sodomites, residing in a desert of burning sand and burning rain falling from the sky.
What is the third circle in Dante's day?
Third Circle: Gluttony. Today’s forecast calls for plenty of icy rain and slush — a “wintery mix” for all eternity.
What does Dante say about the fifth circle?
Dante tells us that the wrathful and angry souls of this circle spend eternity waging battle on the River of Styx. If playing pirates forever sounds like your idea of a good time, then the fifth circle can’t be too bad. Be prepared to hoist the Jolly Roger and go to war against that one guy in line who yelled at your favorite barista, and the road rage-possessed driver who very nearly rear-ended you last week.
How many trenches are there in the eighth circle?
The eighth circle is subdivided into ten trenches. We won’t get into the specifics of who goes where (Too bad, Dante. That’s what you get for making me write abut the seventh circle) but here you’ll find con artists of all sorts. Dante described ditches, but I prefer to think of the eight circle as being a giant cubicle farm full of phone and internet fraudsters. Welcome, supposed “IRS agents” who insist on being paid in iTunes cards.
How many rings are there in the ring of the ring of the ring?
It is composed of three rings. The outer ring is filled with blood and fire and reserved for murderers and thugs. That’s fine, but it gets sketchier from here. The middle ring is where, according to Dante, suicide victims go.
What is the first circle?
First Circle: Limbo. The first circle is home to the unbaptized and virtuous pagans. It’s not Heaven, but as far as Hell goes, it isn’t too bad: It’s the retirement community of the afterlife. Hippocrates and Aristotle will be your neighbors, so any attempt at small talk will probably turn into Big Talk in a hurry.
What is the Divine Comedy?
Dante Alighieri’s The Divine Comedy is considered an epic masterpiece and a foundational work of the Western canon. We offer this short guide to the nine circles of Hell, as described in Dante’s Inferno. The first circle is home to the unbaptized and virtuous pagans.
Dante's Inferno: Summary and Analysis
Dante Alighieri (1265-1321) was a writer, philosopher, and politician from the medieval period in the Italian city-state of Florence. He is considered a significant contributor to the western canon of literature and especially the development of Italian literature in the medieval era.
Descriptions of Dante's 9 Circles of Hell
There is a specific order to Hell as described by Dante; the nine circles of Hell are definitive in their structure and purpose, and they each are a component part of Hell's geography. The chart below gives a brief glimpse at Hell's organization of each circle's number, name, the sin it represents, and a description of punishment for that sin.
Meaning & Symbolism of Dante's Circles of Hell
Dante's circles of Hell are graphic and symbolic depictions of punishment for those who had sinned against medieval Catholic interpretations of Christianity and God. Dante expressed a sure poetic justice for those trapped in Hell: each sin precisely fitted to a different punishment.
Why is the neck above the eyes in Dante's ninth circle?
Their neck and head are above the eyes so that they could bow and protect themselves from the biting winds.
How many rings does Dante have?
Dante further divided this circle into three rings. They send souls to suffer in the circles depending on the severity of their violence. If the guilty try to rise out of the blood more than they are limited to, Centaur, who is guarding them will shoot them.
What are the demons in the fifth Bolgia?
However, in the fifth Bolgia, demons tormented politicians who sold their public offices for money. Demons dunk them in Boeing pitch for indulging in corruption and betraying their country. Further, in the poem, Dante mentions a Claude demon called Malibranch who would tear them apart if they tried to come above the surface of the pitch.
What happens in the third circle?
In the third circle, the souls of those who indulged in voracious feasting and appetite are tortured.
What did the demons torture in the second Bolgia?
Now, in the second Bolgia, demons tortured flatters who exaggeratedly complimented others to gain their attention and corrupt them.
What does each circle represent in the poem?
In the whole poem, each circle represents sin and the Punishment deserved by one who commits the sins.
Who was in the first circle of Limbo?
However, the first circle contains people who did not accept Christ. Limbo is filled with unbaptized virtuous pagans and people. When Dante asks if anyone had ever left Limbo, Virgil states that he saw Jesus descend into Limbo. Moreover he had seen taking Adam, David, Abel, Moses, Noah, Abraham, and Rachel into his all-forgiving arms. Thus, he transported them to Heaven.
Who is Dante's guide in Hell?
In the poem, Dante is guided through Hell by the poet Virgil, who was sent to him by his dead love Beatrice. Virgil narrates the tour, which starts at the top level of Hell. Unbaptized souls and virtuous pagans are kept in Limbo, which is not a place of punishment but rather a gentle place that is not Heaven.
What are the nine circles of hell?
In Dante's epic poem "Inferno," the nine circles of Hell are, from top to bottom, Limbo, Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Anger, Heresy, Violence, Fraud and Treachery. On these circular levels, sinners are punished in accordance with their transgressions, with Limbo holding the easiest punishments and Treachery, at the bottom, ...
What are the levels of the Divine Comedy?
Levels six and seven are used to punish violent sins, including violence against God like heresy or blasphemy. Finally, levels eight and nine punish malicious sinners, or those who have committed fraud or treason. "Inferno" is the first poem in "The Divine Comedy," an allegory of a sinner's progress toward God.
How many circles does Dante have in Hell?
As a Christian, Dante adds Circle 1 (Limbo) to Upper Hell and Circle 6 (Heresy) to Lower Hell, making 9 Circles in total; incorporating the Vestibule of the Futile, this leads to Hell containing 10 main divisions. This "9+1=10" structure is also found within the Purgatorio and Paradiso.
What are the nine circles of Hell?
Virgil proceeds to guide Dante through the nine circles of Hell. The circles are concentric, representing a gradual increase in wickedness, and culminating at the centre of the earth, where Satan is held in bondage. The sinners of each circle are punished for eternity in a fashion fitting their crimes: each punishment is a contrapasso, a symbolic instance of poetic justice. For example, later in the poem, Dante and Virgil encounter fortune-tellers who must walk forward with their heads on backward, unable to see what is ahead, because they tried to see the future through forbidden means. Such a contrapasso "functions not merely as a form of divine revenge, but rather as the fulfilment of a destiny freely chosen by each soul during his or her life". People who sinned, but prayed for forgiveness before their deaths are found not in Hell but in Purgatory, where they labour to become free of their sins. Those in Hell are people who tried to justify their sins and are unrepentant.
What is the name of the circle in Canto IV?
Canto IV#N#Dante wakes up to find that he has crossed the Acheron, and Virgil leads him to the first circle of the abyss, Limbo, where Virgil himself resides. The first circle contains the unbaptized and the virtuous pagans, who, although not sinful enough to warrant damnation, did not accept Christ. Dorothy L. Sayers writes, "After those who refused choice come those without opportunity of choice. They could not, that is, choose Christ; they could, and did, choose human virtue, and for that they have their reward." Limbo shares many characteristics with the Asphodel Meadows, and thus, the guiltless damned are punished by living in a deficient form of Heaven. Without baptism ("the portal of the faith that you embrace") they lacked the hope for something greater than rational minds can conceive. When Dante asked if anyone has ever left Limbo, Virgil states that he saw Jesus ("a Mighty One") descend into Limbo and take Adam, Abel, Noah, Moses, Abraham, David, and Rachel (see Limbo of the Patriarchs) into his all-forgiving arms and transport them to Heaven as the first human souls to be saved. The event, known as the Harrowing of Hell, would have occurred in AD 33 or 34.
What is the first part of Dante's Divine Comedy?
First part of Dante's Divine Comedy. "Dante's Inferno" redirects here. For other uses, see Dante's Inferno (disambiguation). Canto I from the Inferno, the first part of the Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri. v.
What does Ciacco mean in the poem?
In this circle, Dante converses with a Florentine contemporary identified as Ciacco, which means "hog". A character with the same nickname later appears in The Decameron of Giovanni Boccaccio, where his gluttonous behaviour is clearly portrayed. Ciacco speaks to Dante regarding strife in Florence between the "White" and "Black" Guelphs, which developed after the Guelph/Ghibelline strife ended with the complete defeat of the Ghibellines. In the first of several political prophecies in the Inferno, Ciacco "predicts" the expulsion of the White Guelphs (Dante's party) from Florence by the Black Guelphs, aided by Pope Boniface VIII, which marked the start of Dante's long exile from the city. These events occurred in 1302, prior to when the poem was written but in the future at Easter time of 1300, the time in which the poem is set.
Where do Canto V#N#Dante and Virgil enter the second circle?
Canto V#N#Dante and Virgil leave Limbo and enter the Second Circle – the first of the circles of Incontinence – where the punishments of Hell proper begin. It is described as "a part where no thing gleams". They find their way hindered by the serpentine Minos, who judges all of those condemned for active, deliberately willed sin to one of the lower circles. Minos sentences each soul to its torment by wrapping his tail around himself a corresponding number of times. Virgil rebukes Minos, and he and Dante continue on.
What does Dante say about the gate of hell?
Dante passes through the gate of Hell, which bears an inscription ending with the famous phrase " Lasciate ogne speranza, voi ch'intrate ", most frequently translated as "Abandon all hope, ye who enter here." Dante and his guide hear the anguished screams of the Uncommitted. These are the souls of people who in life took no sides; the opportunists who were for neither good nor evil, but instead were merely concerned with themselves. Among these Dante recognizes a figure implied to be Pope Celestine V, whose "cowardice (in selfish terror for his own welfare) served as the door through which so much evil entered the Church". Mixed with them are outcasts who took no side in the Rebellion of Angels. These souls are forever unclassified; they are neither in Hell nor out of it, but reside on the shores of the Acheron. Naked and futile, they race around through the mist in eternal pursuit of an elusive, wavering banner (symbolic of their pursuit of ever-shifting self-interest) while relentlessly chased by swarms of wasps and hornets, who continually sting them. Loathsome maggots and worms at the sinners' feet drink the putrid mixture of blood, pus, and tears that flows down their bodies. This symbolizes the sting of their guilty conscience and the repugnance of sin. This may also be seen as a reflection of the spiritual stagnation in which they lived.