In this canto, the pilgrim and his guide are forced to take a short break. Virgil uses the opportunity to describe the architecture of lower hell and explain why the act of making money from money is considered violence against nature.

Inferno:  Canto 11 - The Shape of Hell

The poem is allegorical, with multiple meanings. Each episode will cover a canto at a time, summarizing and interpreting the poem based on dozens of commentaries. Check the website for further reading.

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In this canto, Dante and Virgil continue to observe the thieves that reside in the seventh ditch of the 8th circle of the inferno, aka The Malebolge. Virgil will tell him about us about the raging centaur that terrorizes the inhabitants here and Dante will witness a couple of grotesque transformations.

Inferno: Canto 25 - The Transforming Thieves

In this canto, Dante and Virgil finally make it out of the sixth subring of the 8th circle. As they cross the next bolgia, a disgruntled voice draws them down to take a closer look. They discover the seventh subring is full of snakes and thieves. Our travelers speak with one of these thieves, a political opponent of Dante's, who tells them about his greatest crime and offers the pilgrim a discouraging prophecy.

Inferno: Canto 24 - The Den of Snakes

In this canto our travelers venture into the sixth bolgia of the 8th circle and walk with a procession of miserable monks who've been forced to wear heavy cloaks. We'll meet two of these sad hypocrites and learn why some of them have been crucified to the ground.

Inferno: Canto 23 - The Heavy Hypocrites

In this canto, our travelers are joined by the Malebranche who may be leading them into a trap. The demonic escorts also catch an escaped barrator who identifies a few others sinners that bartered for a positions of power and are now submerged under the boiling black pitch. The barrator then tries to trick the demons with a bargain that sounds too good to be true.

Inferno: Canto 22 - The Bargaining Barrators

In this canto, our travelers meet the Malebranche; winged demons that patrol the 5th bolgia of the Circle of Fraud. We'll also learn about the sinners here and what the sin of barratry has to with sailing ships.

Inferno: Canto 11 - The Shape of Hell

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