honors world literature: inferno final exam

epic similie

a detailed, often complex poetic comparison (using like or as) that unfolds over a course the course of several lines; often found in epic poetry, a comparison between two things

epic hero

a character who goes on an epic quest; courageous

epic scope/setting

larger context of the hero’s journey; what/how; lesson they’re trying to teach

contrapasso

to suffer the opposite

allegory

the moral of the story

metaphor

comparing two things without using like or as

ghibelline

political party that supported the Holy Roman Empire rather than the Papacy

guelph

political party that supported the Papacy rather than the Holy Roman Empire

terza rima

the format in which the Inferno is written; 3 lines of poem each

incontinence

not being able to control oneself; no self-control

violence

the act of inflicting harm or ensuing chaos

fraud

the sin of deception against a person or group, usually involving money

bolgia

a ditch, the holes in the Inferno

dante

the author of the Inferno, as well as the main character

beatrice

Dante’s protector, has Virgil guide Dante through hell

virgil

Dante’s guide, he leads Dante through hell and protects him; symbolizes human reason

paulo & francesca

lovers, in the 4th canto, and forever blown by a strong gust of wind

ser brunetto

stuck in the 7th circle, was Dante’s friend; immersed in the Phlegethon, which is a river of blood and fire

pope nicholas III

stuck in the 3rd bolgia of the eighth circle; accused of simony and sits upside down, with his head in a hole

rugierri & ugolino

both in the ninth circle, they are trapped entirely in ice, with only their heads sticking out; Ugolino gnaws on the head of Ruggieri, as he killed his children in life

leopard, lion, she wolf

animals that keep Dante from ascending a mountain, seen in the first canto

cerberus

a three-headed, gluttonous dog guarding the third circle of hell, where the gluttonous are punished

geryon

he has a man’s face, and his body is both hairy and reptilian; he has a scorpion’s stinger on his tail; his role in the underworld is to ferry souls from the seventh to the eighth circle

satan

represented as a three headed devil; frozen in a lake and chewing on Judas, Cassius, and Brutus

circle 1

Unbaptized (limbo state), separation from God

circle 2

Lust, wisps, blown by winds of Hell

circle 3

Gluttony, freezing sewage rain, Cerberus chewing at their legs

circle 4

Avarice and Prodigality, pushing boulders, colliding, lost identity

circle 5

Anger and Sullenness, tearing apart each other in swamp, drowning

circle 6

Heresy, trapped in flaming tombs

circle 7

violence

circle 7 section 1

Violence against others, submerged in river Phlegethon of boiling blood

circle 7 section 2

Violence against oneself, transformed into gnarled trees and harassed by harpies

circle 7 section 3

Violence against God, on the burning plain of sand with burning rain/stranded in a desert with burning sands and raining fire

circle 8

fraud

bolgia 1

panderers and seducers, whips and walking

bolgia 2

flatterers, wallow in waste

bolgia 3

simony, upside down/flames on feet

bolgia 4

fortune tellers and soothsayers, heads on backwards

bolgia 5

barrators, boiling pitch/hidden

bolgia 6

hypocrites, capes of lead and gold

bolgia 7

thieves, metamorphosis/transformation

bolgia 8

evil counsel/misuse of talents, flames

bolgia 9

schismatics, tormented by demons with swords

bolgia 10

falsifiers, suffer from diseases like leprosy and rashes

circle 9

betrayal

caina

betrayed family, frozen in ice up to their necks

antenora

betrayed country or political party, frozen in ice up to their heads

ptolemea

betrayed guests, frozen face-up in ice with only their face visible

judecca

betrayed God, completely frozen in ice and are twisted and contorted