Cantos 1-10

The Three Beasts

The Leopard (Lust/Fraud), the Lion (Pride), and the She-Wolf (Greed) that block Dante's path.

Incontinence

The category of sins for Circles 2-5 (Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Wrath); sins of the flesh/appetite.

Mount Joy

Represents the direct path to salvation, happiness, and divine light.

Virgil

The Roman poet who represents Human Reason and serves as Dante's guide.

Beatrice

The symbol of Divine Love who summons Virgil from Limbo to rescue Dante.

The Virgin Mary

The figure of Compassion who notices Dante's struggle and initiates the "chain of grace."

St. Lucia

The patron saint of lost eyesight who assists in the divine plan to save Dante.

The Apocalypse of Paul

A book about the Apostle Paul's journey into Hell which Dante references and emulates.

The Aeneid

Virgil's epic poem; Dante mentions Aeneas’s descent into Hell as a precedent for his own journey.

Vestibule of Hell

The area for the "Neutrals" or "Opportunists" who took no sides in life; they are neither in nor out of Hell.

Divine Retribution

The law of "Contrapasso," where the punishment fits the nature of the sin.

The Banner

A constantly moving object chased by the souls in the Vestibule, representing their lack of direction in life.

Acheron

The "River of Sorrow" that separates the Vestibule from the deeper circles of Hell.

Charon

The ferryman of Acheron who initially refuses to take Dante because he is a living soul.

Limbo (Circle I)

The first circle of Hell, housing virtuous pagans and unbaptized infants; a place of "untormented sadness."

The Mighty One

Refers to Christ, who descended into Limbo to rescue Old Testament figures (the Harrowing of Hell).

The Great Citadel

A castle in Limbo representing the highest point human reason can reach without divine revelation.

The Seven Gates

Represent the seven virtues passed by Dante and Virgil to enter the Great Citadel.

The Master Souls

The four Roman poets (Homer, Horace, Ovid, Lucan) who welcome Dante as the "sixth in that high company."

Minos

The bestial judge of Hell who uses his tail to signal which circle a soul is condemned to.

The Hellish Whirlwind

The punishment for the Lustful (Circle II), symbolizing how they were swept away by their passions.

Paolo and Francesca

Two lovers in the Second Circle who were killed for their affair; Dante faints after hearing their tragic story.

Circle III

The Circle of the Gluttons, who wallow in stinking slush and mire like pigs.

Ciacco

A Florentine glutton nicknamed "The Hog" who prophesies the political future and civil strife of Florence.

Cerberus

The three-headed dog that guards the Gluttons; Virgil silences him by throwing dirt into his mouths.

Plutus

The Greek God of Wealth who harasses the poets at the entrance of the Fourth Circle.

The Hoarders and Wasters

Two groups in Circle IV who must push heavy weights with their chests, symbolizing their obsession with material goods.

Dame Fortune

An Angelic Intelligence ordained by God to shift worldly wealth and glory; she is indifferent to human curses.

The Marsh of Styx

Circle V, where the Wrathful fight on the surface and the Sullen are submerged beneath the mud.

Phlegyas

The ferryman of the Styx and personification of wrath who takes the poets toward the City of Dis.

Filippo Argenti

A violent Florentine politician in the Styx; Dante shows "righteous indignation" by wishing for his further torment.

The City of Dis

The metropolis of Lower Hell featuring red mosques and iron walls; it marks the boundary for sins of Malice and Heresy.

The Furies

Megaera, Alecto, and Tisiphone; mythological avengers of evil who threaten Dante at the gates of Dis.

Medusa

The gorgon summoned by the Furies to turn Dante to stone; Virgil protects Dante by covering his eyes.

The Heavenly Messenger

An angel who descends to easily open the gates of Dis with a wand, rebuking the rebellious angels.

Circle VI

The circle of the Heretics, specifically those who followed Epicurus and denied the immortality of the soul.

Farinata degli Uberti

A Ghibelline leader in a burning tomb who discusses Florentine politics and the foresight of the damned.

Hyperopia

The condition of the damned where they can see the future but are blind to the present.

Cavalcante de’ Cavalcanti

The father of Dante's friend Guido; he mistakenly believes his son is dead because he cannot see the present.

Righteous Indignation

The concept where Dante stops feeling pity for sinners (starting with Argenti) and realizes their punishment is just.