9 Circles of Hell (Dante's Inferno)

Inferno, the first part of Dante's Divine Comedy that inspired the latest Dan Brown's
bestseller of the same title describes the poet's vision of Hell. The story begins with the
narrator (who is the poet himself) being lost in a dark wood where he is attacked by three
beasts which he cannot escape. He is rescued by the Roman poet Virgil who is sent by
Beatrice (Dante's ideal woman). Together, they begin the journey into the underworld or
the 9 Circles of Hell.

First Circle (Limbo) Second Circle (Lust)

Dante’s First Circle of Hell is resided by

In the Second Circle of Hell, Dante and his
virtuous non-Christians and unbaptized
companion Virgil find people who were
pagans who are punished with eternity in
overcome by lust. They are punished by
an inferior form of Heaven. They live in a
being blown violently back and forth by
castle with seven gates which symbolize
strong winds, preventing them to find
the seven virtues. Here, Dante sees many
peace and rest. Strong winds symbolize
prominent people from classical antiquity
the restlessness of a person who is led by
such as Homer, Socrates, Aristotle, Cicero,
desire for fleshly pleasures. Again, Dante
Hippocrates and Julius Caesar.
sees many notable people from history
and mythology including Cleopatra,
Tristan, Helen of Troy and others who
were adulterous during their lifetime.
Third Circle (Gluttony) Fourth Circle (Greed)

When reaching the Third Circle of Hell,

In the Fourth Circle of Hell, Dante and
Dante and Virgil find souls of gluttons
Virgil see the souls of people who are
who are overlooked by a worm-monster
punished for greed. They are divided into
Cerberus. Sinners in this circle of Hell are
two groups – those who hoarded
punished by being forced to lie in a vile
possessions and those who lavishly spent
slush that is produced by never ending icy
it – jousting. They use great weights as a
rain. The vile slush symbolizes personal
weapon, pushing it with their chests
degradation of one who overindulges in
which symbolizes their selfish drive for
food, drink and other worldly pleasures,
fortune during lifetime. The two groups
while the inability to see others lying
that are guarded by a character called
nearby represents the gluttons’ selfishness
Pluto (probably the ancient Greek ruler of
and coldness. Here, Dante speaks to a
the underworld) are so occupied with
character called Ciacco who also tells him
their activity that the two poets don’t try
that the Guelphs (a fraction supporting the
to speak to them. Here, Dante says to see
Pope) will defeat and expel the Ghibellines
many clergymen including cardinals and
(a fraction supporting the Emperor to
popes.
which Dante adhered) from Florence
which happened in 1302, before the poem
was written (after 1308).
Fifth Circle (Anger) Sixth Circle (Heresy)

The Fifth Circle of Hell is where the

wrathful and sullen are punished for their
sins. Transported on a boat by Phlegyas,
Dante and Virgil see the wrathful fighting
each other on the surface of the river Styx
and the sullen gurgling beneath the When reaching the Sixth Circle of Hell,
surface of the water. Again, the Dante and Virgil see heretics who are
punishment reflects the type of the sin condemned to eternity in flaming tombs.
committed during lifetime. While passing Here, Dante talks with a couple of
through, the poets are approached by Florentines – Farinata degli Uberti and
Filippo Argenti, a prominent Florentine Cavalcante de’ Cavalcanti – but he also
politician who confiscated Dante’s sees other notable historical figures
property after his expulsion from Florence. 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 heretic
by a mistake. Instead, as some scholars
argue, the poet probably meant the
Byzantine Emperor Anastasius I.
Seventh Circle (Violence) Eight Circle (Fraud)

The Seventh Circle of Hell is divided into

three rings. The Outer Ring houses
murderers and others who were violent to
other people and property. Here, Dante
sees Alexander the Great (disputed),
Dionysius I of Syracuse, Guy de Montfort The Eight Circle of Hell is resided by the
and many other notable historical and fraudulent. Dante and Virgil reach it on
mythological figures such as the the back of Geryon, a flying monster with
Centaurus, sank into a river of boiling different natures, just like the fraudulent.
blood and fire. In the Middle Ring, the This circle of Hell is divided into 10
poet sees suicides who have been turned Bolgias or stony ditches with bridges
into trees and bushes which are fed upon between them. In Bolgia 1, Dante sees
by harpies. But he also sees here panderers and seducer. In Bolgia 2 he
profligates, chased and torn to pieces by finds flatterers. After crossing the bridge
dogs. In the Inner Ring are blasphemers to Bolgia 3, he and Virgil see those who
and sodomites, residing in a desert of are guilty of simony. After crossing
burning sand and burning rain falling another bridge between the ditches to
from the sky. Bolgia 4, they find sorcerers and false
prophets. In Bolgia 5 are housed corrupt
politicians, in Bolgia 6 are hypocrites and
in the remaining 4 ditches, Dante finds
hypocrites (Bolgia 7), thieves (Bolgia 7),
evil counselors and advisers (Bolgia 8),
divisive individuals (Bolgia 9) and various
falsifiers such as alchemists, perjurers and
counterfeits (Bolgia 10).
Ninth Circle (Treachery)

The last Ninth Circle of Hell is divided

into 4 Rounds according to the seriousness
of the sin though all residents are frozen in
an icy lake. 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.