Dante's Inferno

Question 0

Who is Beatrice?

Answer 0

An angel sent to help Dante find the path of righteousness (also, his lover) (represents divine love)

Question 1

What does “Dark Woods” represent?

Answer 1

Worldliness or error

Question 2

What does the Lion represent?

Answer 2

Violence (middle of hell)

Question 3

What does the Leopard represent?

Answer 3

Malice or fraud (lowest division of hell)

Question 4

Where is the Bible does the idea of the woods come from?

Answer 4

Jeremiah 5:6

Question 5

Who is Virgil?

Answer 5

(Author of the Aeneid) A poet sent by Beatrice to guide Dante through hell (represents reason)

Question 6

Who is Charon?

Answer 6

The ferryman that takes souls across the River Styx into hell

Question 7

How many circles of hell are there?

Answer 7

9

Question 8

Who is in the first circle, and what is their punishment?

Answer 8

Virtuous pagans (lived just lives but didn’t have Christ)(Ovid, Horace, Plato); stuck

Question 9

What does Dante teach about philosophy?

Answer 9

It is important but it is worthless without God

Question 10

Who is in the second circle and what is their punishment?

Answer 10

Lustful (Trancesca and Paolo); they are always touching and caught up on a whirlwind, but they have be void of all emotions such as
love

Question 11

Who is in the third circle, and what is their punishment?

Answer 11

Gluttonous - those who have wasted their talents and have produced nothing but garbage (Ciacco); live among garbage in the freezing rain and are ripped apart by Cerberus

Question 12

Who are in the fourth circle, and what is their punishment?

Answer 12

Hoarders - those who keep their wealth to themselves and Wasters - those who spend their wealth on junk; are constantly pushing up weights and boulders of debt, and crashing into each other

Question 13

Who are in the fifth circle, and what is their punishment?

Answer 13

Wrathful (Tilippo and Argenti) and Sullen -those who’ve shut out the sun; fight with each other in the slime of the River Styx and they live beneath the river in the darkest place of hell

Question 14

Who are in the sixth circle, and what is their punishment?

Answer 14

Heretics (Uberti and Cavalconi); they lay in scolding, iron tombs

Question 15

Who are in the seventh circle, and what is their punishment?

Answer 15

Violent (against neighbor, self, and God); Neighbor - smothered beneath boiling blood and every time they try to get out they are attacked; Self - turned into trees

Question 16

Who are in the eighth circle, and what is their punishment?

Answer 16

Fraudulent (alchemists/false witnesses/ Panderers and Seducerers); attack each other and/or go crazy

Question 17

Who are in the ninth circle, and what is their punishment?

Answer 17

Treacherous (Judas Iscariot, Cain); entangled in ice of their own bitter tears and/or being chomped on by Satan

Question 18

What does the union of a hazel tree and honeysuckle growing together symbolize? Whose love was it between?

Answer 18

Tristan and Isolate (dissatisfied love; without each other they would die)

Question 19

Why did Thor take the farmers children?

Answer 19

Trjalfe (the son) broke the hip bone of the goat causing it to have a limp

Question 20

Where did Thor and his companions spend the night?

Answer 20

A giants glove

Question 21

What is Loki’s competition and competitor in the giants home?

Answer 21

Eating contest against Logi (fire)

Question 22

What is Thjalfi competition and competitor?

Answer 22

Race against Hugi (time)

Question 23

What are Thor’s three challenges and what is the magic behind it?

Answer 23

Drink a goblet of water (drinks the sea), pick up cat (universe), and fight with old lady (time/old age)

Question 24

Who is Skymir?

Answer 24

Utgarth-Loki ( king of giants)

Question 25

Who is the she-wolf?

Answer 25

Sin

Question 26

What is the only thing that can stop the she- wolf?

Answer 26

Grey hound (Jesus)

Question 27

What two beings try to stop Dante from entering hell?

Answer 27

Minos and Charon

Question 28

What do the coils on Minos’s tail represent?

Answer 28

How far down a soul must descend into hell

Question 29

Who does Dante consider as maggots?

Answer 29

Angels that didn’t take sides between God and Satan, and opportunists

Question 30

What is the story of Francesca and Paolo?

Answer 30

They were reading poetry about Lancelot and Gwenevere, did some unholy things (blame poetry), and Fran. husband (Paolo brother) killed them

Question 31

What happens to Dante after hearing Fran and Paolo’s story?

Answer 31

Faints because of sadness for them

Question 32

According to Dante, where is Satan?

Answer 32

The center of earth

Question 33

What is symbolic about Dante climbing on Satan?

Answer 33

In order to overcome evil, you must put Satan behind you