post reading discussion. the divine comedy canto 1, 3, 5: identifying facts what is dante’s state...
TRANSCRIPT
Canto 1, 3, 5: Identifying FactsWhat is Dante’s state of mind at the
beginning of the poem?Afraid, desperate
How does Virgil offer to help Dante? Why is Virgil unable to take Dante directly to the Light of God?Leading him through Hell; he wasn’t baptized
What is the sin of the first group of condemned souls that Dante meets?Lived for themselves; expedient
Canto 1, 3, 5: Identifying FactsWho is Charon? According to Virgil, why does
Charon refuse to allow Dante to cross Acheron?Demon who ferries the damned soulsDante is still living
What is Minos’s role in the 2nd circle of Hell? How does he perform this duty?Judge who delivers each sinner’s sentence Coiling his tail around his body for each level
What types of sinners does Dante see in the 2nd circle? What is their eternal punishment?Guilty of sexual sinsFlung about like violent winds
Canto 1, 3, 5: Interpreting MeaningHow does Dante feel when he learns Virgil’s identity in
Canto 1? Why is Virgil important to Dante as a poet?Honored and blessedDante admires his work, Aeneid
In Canto 3, Virgil tells Dante that the fallen people are those “who have lost the good of intellect.” What does this mean? Intellect (reason) is a guide to virtuous living; it’s useless
after death In what ways does hopelessness torment the spirits of
the damned in Canto 3?Cannot hope to escape torment thru death In despair they curse God and everything God gave them
for their own good
Canto 1, 3, 5: Interpreting Meaning In Canto 5, why do you suppose Dante uses
such a sympathetic image (doves) for the lovers?Feels great compassion
By including details about Paola and Francesca’s reading, what attitude do you think Dante is expressing toward courtly love poetry? Considers it beautiful, yet dangerously
seductive
Canto 1, 3, 5 Written ResponseDo you think those who refuse to stand up for
principle, who act only for their own survival, deserve to suffer such a hideous fate?
How do you define faith and reason? Which is more valued in today’s world? Which do you think should be more highly valued? Explain your reasons.
Canto 33, 34: Identifying FactsWhat souls are punished in the 9th circle? What sins have
they committed? Fraudulent, treacherous Betrayal
How does Ugolino’s grim story make Ugolino feel? What does he then do to express his feelings? Vengeful Resumes his gnawing
What sinners are punished in the lowest, last circle? How are they punished? Betrayed their masters Frozen wholly in ice
What does Satan look like? What is he doing? 3 different colored faces, 6 bat-wings, shaggy pelt Weeping and beating his wings as he chews on the sinners
Canto 33, 34: Interpreting MeaningDescribe Ugolino’s evil dream and explain how it parts “the
veil of the future” – that is, forcasts coming events.Ruggieri’s hunting dogs turn on his friends. He will turn on
Ugolino and his sonsWhy does Dante not keep his promise to Friar Alberigo?
His crime was so heinous that he was unworthy of Dante’s mercy
Why does Dante regard Judas, Brutus, and Cassius as the worst sinners of all? How does Judas’s sin differ from that of Brutus and Cassius?Betrayed their mastersChrist
In what way could Satan’s three faces be explained as symbols?Parody of the Trinity
Canto 33, 34: Written ResponsesAs horrible as Ugolino’s revenge is, do you
think it is justified, in view of Ruggieri’s crime against him? If so, does that mean that revenge is justifiable in princple?
Do you agree with Dante that being entirely frozen in solid ice would be the worst punishment of all? Can you think of a worse punishment?
Reading CheckWho leads Dante out of the Dark Wood of Error?
VirgilWho is Charon and what is his function?
Brutal ferryman who conveys the damned to their eternal fate
How many levels are there in Hell?9
For what sins are Cleopatra, Achilles, and Tristan being punished?Sexual passion
What led Paola and Francesca to give in to their desire for each other?Reading the tale of Lancelot & Guinevere
Reading CheckWhat does Dante do after hearing the tale of Paolo
and Francesca?Faints
After having been starved to death, what grim food does Count Ugolino feed on in Hell?The head and neck of Ruggieri, his murderer
By whom is Friar Alberigo’s still living, physical body occupied?Demon
What causes the icy wind in Hell?Satan’s beating wings
Who does Satan chew on, and why?Judas, because he betrayed Christ