Souls stay in Upper hell Dante characterizes the inability of sinners to control their natural instincts and passions. The first seven circles of the underworld, described in the poem “The Divine Comedy,” are a funnel-shaped structure, where the severity of sin and the severity of punishment increase with each level. It is here, within the city of Dita, that the area of “intemperance” ends and circles punishing conscious evil and heresy begin.
Geography of the underworld created by Alighieri, is strictly hierarchical and based on Aristotelian ethics. Key watershed serves as the wall of the city of Dita, separating the first four circles from the lower levels, where the sins of malice (malice) and bestiality (bestiality) are punished. Dante and Virgil's journey through these levels demonstrates the evolution of human vices from the weakness of the flesh to the cold, calculating denial of God.
Each of the seven circles has its own unique topography and a specific type of punishment, which in medieval scholasticism is called contrapasso - retribution similar to the deed. Sinners here are without hope, and their suffering is both physical and psychological. Understanding the structure of these levels is necessary for a deep analysis of a literary work and the author's philosophical views on the nature of human sinfulness.
Limbo: the abode of virtuous pagans
The first circle, called Limbo, is not formally a place of torture in the usual sense, but it is inhabited by souls whose punishment lies in hopeless waiting. Here are unbaptized babies and virtuous pagans who lived before Christianity or in non-Christian cultures. They did not commit grave sins, but were not granted the grace of baptism, which in Dante’s theological system makes it impossible for them to ascend to God.
The atmosphere of Limbo is devoid of physical torment, but permeated with deep, quiet sorrow. The inhabitants of this level are deprived of the opportunity to contemplate the Creator, which is for them the highest form of suffering. Virgil, who is here himself, explains to Dante that their only flaw is their lack of faith, and not their vicious acts during life.
- 🏛️ Limbo is home to great philosophers, poets and heroes of antiquity, such as Homer, Horace and Socrates.
- 💧 The absence of physical torture is compensated by eternal sadness and awareness of the impossibility of salvation.
- ⚔️ Here is a castle where the spirits of great men who lived in earthly glory reside.
⚠️ Attention: Limbo should not be confused with purgatory. In purgatory, souls have hope of purification and ascension, while the inhabitants of Limbo are forever frozen in their state.
Who are the "great spirits" in Limbo?
In a castle illuminated by artificial light, Dante meets Aristotle, whom he calls “the lord of those who know,” as well as Plato, Caesar and Saladin. This is the only place in hell where peace reigns and conversations are held, although their joy is clouded by eternal melancholy.
Second circle: lust and irrepressible passion
From the second circle, real hell begins, where sinners are met by Minos, the judge of the underworld, who determines the level of punishment for everyone. Here they are punished lustful - those who during their lifetime completely surrendered to the power of love passion, allowing the mind to submit to lust. Their sin lies not in love itself, but in the inability to curb their instincts.
The punishment for these souls is symbolic and cruel. They are carried through the air by an incessant, furious wind, which throws them against the rocks and spins them in a whirlwind. This retribution reflects the essence of their sin: during their lifetime they could not stand still, succumbing to impulses of passion, and now they are forever given over to the elements.
Among the many sinners, Dante recognizes Francesca da Rimini, whose tragic love story became one of the most famous parts of the poem. Her story about how reading a book about Lancelot awakened a forbidden feeling in her and her lover Paolo evokes deep compassion in the poet, even to the point of loss of consciousness.
- 🌪️ The symbol of punishment is a continuous hurricane that does not give peace for a moment.
- 💔 Sinners float in pairs, forever bound by the bonds of passion that destroyed them.
- 📖 It is here that Dante first encounters real historical figures convicted of amor.
Third circle: gluttony and filth
The third circle greets travelers with icy, stinking rain that never stops. They're languishing here gluttonswho indulged in excesses in food and drink during their lifetime. Their sin is immoderation, turning the gifts of nature into an instrument of pleasure that clouds the mind.
Sinners lie in a disgusting slurry consisting of mud, snow and hail. Above them stands the three-headed dog Cerberus, who is tearing apart the souls immersed in this mass with his claws and teeth. The barking of the dog and the sound of falling water create a deafening background that enhances the hopelessness of the situation.
One of the sinners, Ciacco, predicts to Dante the future of Florence, full of political strife and blood. This episode emphasizes that even in hell, political interests and earthly attachments do not leave souls, although they cannot change their fate.
- 🌧️ Icy rain symbolizes the coldness and emptiness that gluttony leads to.
- 🐕 Cerberus, the guardian of this circle, personifies the insatiable appetite that tears apart the soul.
- 💩 The dirt in which sinners lie is a direct reflection of what they have turned their lives into.
Fourth circle: stinginess and wastefulness
On the fourth circle, Dante and Virgil meet Plutos, the demon of wealth. Here two opposing categories of sinners are punished: stingy and spendthrifts. Both groups sinned in relation to material wealth: the first loved wealth excessively, the second thoughtlessly squandered it.
The punishment consists of rolling heavy loads forever. The sinners are divided into two groups and move in a circle towards each other. When they collide, they forcefully push loads (stones or bags of gold), shouting at each other: “Why are you hoarding?” and “Why are you spending?” After the collision, they scatter only to collide again.
Dante notes that among them there are many clerics, popes and cardinals whose lives were marred by greed. The faces of these sinners are unrecognizable, since their souls have been distorted by the love of things, and now they are devoid of individuality, representing a faceless mass.
⚠️ Attention: Stinginess and wastefulness in Dante’s concept are two sides of the same coin, a violation of the “golden mean” in relation to earthly goods.
Pay attention to the symbolism of the cargo. For the stingy it is a symbol of the weight of what has been accumulated, for wasteful people - the weight of what has been lost, but the essence of the punishment is the same - meaningless work.
Fifth Circle: Anger and Dejection in Styx
The fifth circle is washed by the waters of the Styx swamp, into which the waters of the Acheront River flow. Here they are punished angry and sad. The Wrathful Ones, seething with rage in life, now forever fight each other on the surface of the swamp, biting and tearing each other apart. Their rage comes out in the form of physical violence.
The dull (or lethargic) ones are found at the bottom of the swamp, completely submerged in the black, bubbling muck. They cannot even make a sound as the water floods their throats. Their sin lay in passivity, in the refusal to fight and act, in the “sour smoke” that they released into the world.
The description of this circle emphasizes the destructive nature of anger, which destroys not only those around them, but also the person himself. In ancient mythology, the Styx was considered a sacred river, the crime of oath before which was severely punished, and Dante uses this image to enhance the contrast between the holiness of an oath and the filth of sin.
- 🔥 The angry ones fight furiously on the surface, splashing out their rage.
- 🌫️ The sad ones are hidden under water, their sin is internal rotting and lack of will.
- 💨 Bubbles on the surface of the swamp are the sighs of those who languish at the bottom.
Sixth Circle: Heresies and Burning Tombs
Having passed the walls of the city of Dita, travelers find themselves in the sixth circle, where they are punished heretics. This is the first circle of the “Lower Hell”, where sins are no longer associated with intemperance, but are the result of a conscious choice of reason against faith. Heretics denied the immortality of the soul and the existence of God.
The landscape of this circle is a scorching field dotted with open tombs. The lids of the coffins are red-hot, and inside them the souls of the heresiarchs languish. The punishment will intensify after the Last Judgment, when the lids of the tombs will slam shut forever, and the torment will become inescapable.
Here Dante meets Farinata degli Uberti, the leader of the Ghibellines, who, even in hell, retains his pride and interest in the political life of Florence. Also here is the epicurean Cavalcante, the father of Dante’s friend, who is worried about the fate of his son, not believing in the possibility of knowledge of the future by heretics.
☑️ Signs of heresy in Dante’s concept
Seventh circle: violence against one's neighbor, oneself and God
The seventh circle is dedicated to punishment for violence and is divided into three belts (jirona). In the first zone, near the river Phlegethon (boiling blood), there are murderers and rapists against their neighbors. The level of blood in the river depends on the severity of the crimes committed: tyrants and robbers are boiled up to their necks, and light sinners - only up to their knees.
The second zone is the forest of suicides. The souls of those who committed suicide are turned into gnarled, gnarled trees. The harpies peck at them, causing pain, and blood oozes from the wounds. Only after the Last Judgment will their bodies return to these trees, but they will remain hanging on the branches, reminding them of the sin they committed.
The third zone is a scorched desert where it rains fire. Here are the rapists against God, nature and art (sodomites and moneylenders). They are forced to run forever on the hot sand, brushing aside the fiery flakes. This punishment symbolizes the futility of their existence and the rejection of the natural order of things.
| 7th Circle Belt | Category of sinners | Type of punishment | Symbolism |
|---|---|---|---|
| First belt | Violent people | Cooking in a river of blood | Blood shed in life |
| Second belt | Suicides | Transformation into trees | Rejection of one's own body |
| Third belt | Rapists against God | Running on fire sand | Futility and rejection of nature |
| Third belt | Moneylenders | Sitting in the fiery rain | Unnatural multiplication |
⚠️ Warning: Violence in the seventh circle is interpreted broadly. This includes not only physical violence, but also violence against one’s own body (suicide) and against the natural course of things (blasphemy, sodomy, usury).
The seventh circle marks the transition from sins of weakness (incontinence) to sins of evil will (malice), where the mind is used to cause harm.
Questions and answers
Why are there only seven circles in Dante's hell, if traditionally there are nine?
There are only nine circles in the Divine Comedy. The first seven describe the sins of intemperance and violence, and the last two (8th and 9th) are devoted to the sins of deception and betrayal, which Dante considers the most serious. The division into seven is often distinguished separately, since they are located before the city of Dita or in its first levels, but the complete structure includes 9 levels.
Who is Minos and what is his role in the second circle?
Minos is the king of Crete, who became a judge in hell. He listens to the confession of each soul and wraps his tail around as many times as the circles of hell the sinner must go through to reach his place of punishment. His role is the distribution of souls among the levels of the underworld.
What is the difference between the sins of upper and lower hell?
Upper hell (circles 1-5) is inhabited by sinners who have failed to control their instincts (lust, anger, gluttony). Lower hell (circles 6-9) is intended for those who used their minds to consciously commit evil (heresy, deception, betrayal). Dante considers the last sins more serious.
Why are suicides turned into trees?
Transformation into trees symbolizes the fact that suicides rejected the human body given by God during their lifetime. Because they did not value their human shell, in hell they are deprived of the right to possess it and exist in the form of motionless, pain-feeling plants.