Eighth Circle
Eighth Circle:
Area:
Nether Hell, Sins of Fraud or
Malice, Simple Sins, Malebolge (evil pouches), ten
pouches
Located in Cantos: XVII-XXX
Pouches:
1st pouch-
pimps/panderers/seducers-whipped by
demons while marching –cantos 18:
Icons:
Venedico Caccianemico, Jason,
Punishment/Contrapasso:
pimps/panderers/seducers-whipped by demons while marching
Allusions, Devices, Metaphors, Similes:
Malebolge, Bolgia
2nd pouch-
flatterers-immersed in human excrement-cantos 18:
Icons:
Alessio Interminei of Lucca, Thais,
Punishment/Contrapasso:
immersed in human excrement, which represent the words they produced in the living
world
3rd pouch-
Simoniacs/Simoners-placed in holes
head first with their legs exposed and their feet burned-cantos 19:
Icons:
Pope Nicholas III, Simon Magus, Simon Peter, Pope Boniface VIII, Pope
Clement V
Punishment/Contrapasso:
placed in holes head first with their legs exposed and their feet burned
Allusions, Devices, Metaphors, Similes:
Simon Magus, St. Peter, Pope Boniface VIII, Pope Clement V, Donation of
Constantine.
4th pouch-
sorcery/diviners-contorted until
their heads are backward and they cry until blind-cantos 20:
Icons:
Amphiaraus, Tiresias, Manto, Aruns, Michael Scot, Alberto De Casalodi, Guido
Bonatti.
Punishment/Contrapasso:
sorcery/diviners-contorted until their heads are backward and they cry until blind
Allusions, Devices, Metaphors, Similes:
Mantua
5th pouch-
corrupt politicians-immersed in pool of boiling
pitch-cantos 21-23:
Icons:
Malebranche (“Evil Claws”), Malacoda (“Evil Tail”), Ciampolo
Punishment/Contrapasso:
corrupt politicians-immersed in pool of boiling pitch
Allusions, Devices, Metaphors, Similes:
Harrowing of Hell
6th pouch-
hypocrites-forced to wear clothes
made of lead-cantos 23:
Icons:
Catalano and Loderingo, Pope
Sixtus V, Caiaphas
Punishment/Contrapasso:
hypocrites-forced to wear clothes made of lead as they listlessly walk, to
represent the falsity behind their actions
Allusions, Devices, Metaphors, Similes:
The Jovial Friers, the papacy, Christ’s crucifixion
7th pouch-
more fraud/thieves-chased and bitten by reptiles-cantos 24-25:
Icons:
Vanni Fucci, the Centaur Cacus
Punishment/Contrapasso:
more fraud/thieves-chased and bitten by reptiles, as they stole in life, their very
identity is stolen from them in the eternal death
Allusions, Devices, Metaphors, Similes:
Incarnational Parody, Lucan and Ovid
8th pouch-
fraudulent rhetoric/false
counselors-wrapped in individual columns of flame- cantos 25-27:
Icons:
Ulysses and Diomedes, Guido de Montfeltro
Punishment/Contrapasso:
fraudulent rhetoric/false counselors-wrapped in individual columns of flame
Allusions, Devices, Metaphors, Similes:
The Trojan war, The Trojan Horse, Elijah’s Chariot, Eteocles and Polynices,
Pope Boniface VIII, St. Francis and the Franciscan order
9th pouch-
Divisiveness/Schismatics-split from chin to groin by sword-cantos 27-29:
Icons:
Mohammed and Ali, Bertran de Born
Punishment/Contrapasso:
Divisiveness/Schismatics-split from chin to groin by sword
Allusions, Devices, Metaphors, Similes:
Elijah’s Chariot, Islam, Sunni and Shiite, Henry the Young King against
Henry II
10th pouch-
falsification/falsifiers-compelled to scratch their itching skin-cantos 29-30:
Icons:
Adam and Sinon the Greek
Punishment/Contrapasso:
falsification/falsifiers-compelled to scratch their itching skin; they were a disease to society, now a disease to themselves
Allusions, Devices, Metaphors, Similes:
Potiphar’s wife, The Trojan Horse, Gianni Schicchi, Myrrha