Dante's 9 Circles of Hell is an allegory telling of the journey of Dante through
Hell, guided by the Roman poet Virgil. In the poem, Hell is depicted as nine circles of suffering located
within the Earth. Allegorically, the Divine Comedy represents
the journey of the soul toward God, with the Inferno describing
the recognition and rejection of sin. Allegorically, the Inferno represents
the Christian soul seeing sin for what it
really is. What the three beasts may represent has been the subject of much
controversy over the centuries, but one suggestion is that they represent three
types of sin: the self-indulgent, the violent, and the malicious. These
three types of sin also provide the three main divisions of Dante's Hell: Upper
Hell (the first 5 Circles) for the self-indulgent sins, Circles 6 and 7 for the
violent sins, and Circles 8 and 9 for the malicious sins. The sins may also be
split into sins of incontinence (upper hell), named so because of their
passionate and uncontrolled nature, and sins of malice (lower hell), where the
sins are premeditated.
I am linking these nine circles of hell quite solely to
the concept of evil being generated from having an unhealthy obsession or love
for money. There are nine circles, which could provide me with a range of nine
denominations to work around for this brief.
The first circle is LIMBO:
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 and Julius Caesar.
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 to find peace and
rest. Strong winds symbolize the restlessness of a person who is led by desire
for fleshly pleasures. Again, Dante 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)
When reaching the Third Circle of Hell, Dante and Virgil
find souls of gluttons who are overlooked by a worm-monster Cerberus. Sinners
in this circle of Hell are punished by being forced to lie in a vile slush that
is produced by never ending icy rain. The vile slush symbolizes personal
degradation of one who overindulges in food, drink and other worldly pleasures,
while the inability to see others lying nearby represents the gluttons’
selfishness and coldness. Here, Dante speaks to a character called Ciacco who
also tells him that the Guelphs (a fraction supporting the Pope) will defeat
and expel the Ghibellines (a fraction supporting the Emperor to which Dante
adhered) from Florence which happened in 1302, before the poem was written
(after 1308).
Fourth Circle (Greed)
In the Fourth Circle of Hell, Dante and Virgil see the souls
of people who are punished for greed. They are divided into two groups – those
who hoarded possessions and those who lavishly spent it – jousting. They use
great weights as a weapon, pushing it with their chests which symbolizes their
selfish drive for fortune during lifetime. The two groups that are guarded by a
character called Pluto (probably the ancient Greek ruler of the underworld) are
so occupied with their activity that the two poets don’t try to speak to them.
Here, Dante says to see many clergymen including cardinals and popes.
Fifth Circle (Anger)
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 surface of the water. Again, the punishment
reflects the type of the sin committed during lifetime. While passing through,
the poets are approached by Filippo Argenti, a prominent Florentine politician
who confiscated Dante’s property after his expulsion from Florence.
Sixth Circle (Heresy)
When reaching the Sixth Circle of Hell, Dante and Virgil see
heretics who are condemned to eternity in flaming tombs. 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
heretic by a mistake. Instead, as some scholars argue, the poet probably meant
the Byzantine Emperor Anastasius I.
Seventh Circle (Violence)
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 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.
Eight Circle (Fraud)
The Eight Circle of Hell is resided by the fraudulent. Dante
and Virgil reach it on the back of Geryon, a flying monster with different
natures, just like the fraudulent. 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. After
crossing another bridge between the ditches to 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.
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