Inferno Canto Guide 19

                                                       Canto 19

                                                            By Dora Luo

                Third bolgia: Simoniacs-Nicholas Ⅱ-denunciation of corrupt clergy

                                                                                                    ---Inferno

Summary:

Dante and Virgil were in the Third Pouth where punished the Simoniacs. Simoniacs’ feet, legs and thighs were showed from the mouth of the protruded and the rest of their bodies were inside the pits. Their soles were flamed endlessly. And then, Dante saw one spirit had been tortured more than others. He went to speak to him and noted that the spirit was NicholasⅡ who thought Dante was Boniface. Dante corrected him and the spirit told him that he was a pope who committed the simony. He talked about his position before he died. And he added that there would have a person who committed more crimes and he would have a worse fate. Dante said to the spirits that Christ didn’t ask St. Peter for treasure to get the Keys of Heaven and Earth. Dante told him that he deserved his punishment. At the end, Virgil showed satisfactory on Dante’s expression and helped him to leave.

Sinners:

NicholasⅡ, who bought or sold ecclesiastical pardons or offices.

Contrapasso/Punishment:

Sinners’ bodies were inside the pits except their feet, legs and thighs. Their soles were flamed endlessly.

Two High-Order Questions:

1)          Why NicholasⅡ showed the torture more than his other companions?

2)          According to the punishment for NicholasⅡ, what did author want to expose about the realistic society at that time?

Ten Questions:

1)          Which kinds of people are punished in this Pouth?
             A. Usures B. Simoniacs C. Sodomite

2)          What kind of punished did they get?

3)          Which part of sinners’ body is not in the pit?

4)          Who is the person that NicholasⅡmistakes Dante for?  

             A. Capaneus B. Virgil C. Boniface

5)          What did Dante feel after he heard Nicholas called him Boniface?

  A. happy B. confuse C. angry

6)          Who will come from the west?

7)          What was Dante’s attitude when he talks to Nicholas?

8)          What was Virgil’s attitude after he heart the way that Dante told to Nicholas?

       A.  happy B. confuse C. angry

9)          What kind of person that Dante thought were idolaters and an affliction on the world?

10)        What kind of bad thing did Nicholas do before he died?