Inferno: Canto 17 Guide

New Characters:

1. Geryon: The monster of fraud. He is half man and half serpent. He can fly and is described at the vision of fraud. “And that filthy image of fraud came over and beached its head and chest” (Dante 261).
2. The Usurers:  The sinners of this canto who are guilty of violence against art, which means that they did not gain money in the way God planned for man to make money.
3. Giovanni di Buiamonte: this is one of the Usurers who talk to Dante. He says that his is from Florence and a Paduan. “Let the reigning knight come down, who will bring the bag with the tree goats” (Dante 265).

Summary:

“Behold the beast with the pointed tail, that passes through mountains and pierces walls and armor! Behold the one that makes the whole world stink!” (Dante 261). That is how this canto starts. It begins with Virgil proclaiming the mighty evil of a hell monster that has just arrived on the shore. This beast is Geryon, and his appearance is described in great detail. He is a serpent with a man’s face, and two hairy paws. After the two poets behold the fearsome appearance of the hell beast, Dante is sent to observe the Usurers, the sinners of this canto, while Virgil negotiates passage to the eighth circle on Geryon’s back. As Dante arrives to the weeping huddle of sinners, he notices that they have purses around their neck that have family crests of Florentine families embroidered on them. The sinner, Giovanni, tells Dante to leave before prophesizing a death and explaining where he was from. Dante comes back to the shore and sees Virgil mounted on the beast’s back waiting for Dante. After Dante asks Virgil to hold onto him, they take off and spiral downward to the eighth circle. Dante can hear the shrieks and see the fire towards the bottom and becomes frightened. Once they have landed and dismounted, Geryon leaves immediately.

Sin and Sinners:

Ø  Violence Against Art: This sin is when the sinners do not gain money from industry or skill, which was God’s plan for men. Instead the gain money from charging high interest and taking advantage of people’s imperative needs.

Ø  This sin is in a subsection of the level that contains the sin of the Lion, which is violence.

Ø  The Sinner: Giovanni di Buiamonte sits in a huddle with the other usurers and is the only one in the group to talk and recognize Dante as one of the living.

Ø  “Now go away; and since you are alive, too, know that my neighbor Vitalian will sit here at my left flank.” The future told by Giovanni (Dante 263)

Punishment and Contrapasso:

v  The Punishment: To sit in burning sand while being rained on by fire, which symbolizes God’s wrath raining down on them.

v  “They sought remedy with their hands at times against the fire, at times against the hot ground” (Dante 263).

v  The sinners of this level all wear purses with their family crest on it and their eyes are always fixed on them. They are forced to recognize the shame their sin brings to their family.

v Contrapasso: Because these sinners are in the Violence against God sub circle in the seventh circle, they must forever feel the wrath of God raining down on them. Also, these people gained luxuries and comfort in a sinful way. Therefore, they sit in hot sands to be forever in discomfort and stripped of everything but reminders of the family they once had.

The Mother in Virgil:

As Dante continues his journey through the Inferno, Virgil becomes more and more of a motherly figure. In this canto, it is very easy to see Virgil’s motherly instincts expanding. Here are some quotes to highlight evidence of this:

1. “Mount in front, for I wish to be between, so that its tail can do no harm” Virgil protecting Dante in their flight atop of Geryon (Dante 265).
2. “But he, who had supported me at other times, in other dangers, as soon as I mounted clasped and braced me with his arms” Dante is describing how Virgil held onto him when they took off in flight toward the eighth circle on Geryon’s back (Dante 265).
3. “Let your speech there be brief; until you return, I will speak with this beast, that it may grant us its strong shoulders” Virgil is telling Dante to basically hurry back from his adventure, while Virgil sets up the travel arrangements (Dante 263).

Discussion Questions:

1. What do you think of Virgil’s motherly side coming out? Do you think he is becoming less of a mentor? Defend you case with the quotes previously presented or those of your own.
2. Explain the symbolism of Geryon and they reason why you think Dante placed him here. What do you think of his appearance? Do the creatures that make up his body symbolize anything? Use examples from the book to support your case.

3. Describe your thoughts on the Usurers of this level and what you think they would look like. Why do you think Dante did not recognize any of them? What is the significance of their purses? Finally, what do you think the contrapasso of these particular sinners is?

Sources:

·       Alighieri, Dante. The Divine Comedy of Dante Alighieri: Inferno. Vol. 1. Trans. Robert M. Durling. Ed. Robert M. Durling. New York: Oxford University Press, 1996. N. pag. Print.

·       Alighieri, Dante. The Inferno. Trans. John Ciardi. New York: Signet Classics, 2009. N. pag. Print.