canto 9 Guide

Canto 9

New Characters

-Medusa- She has hair of snakes and if you look her in the eyes you will turn to stone

-The Messenger from Heaven

The Three Furies

       -Magaera

-Allecto

-Tisiphone

Summary

After Virgil’s failure to gain entrance through the gates into the city of Dis, Dante is shocked, grows pale, and becomes scared. Virgil points out to Dante the three creatures that are half woman half serpent. There names are Megaera, Allecto, and Tisiphone. They begin to beat and attack each other. Then the creatures say “Let Medusa come: so we will turn him to concrete.” Virgil quickly tells Dante to turn and close his eyes. A huge noise shakes the ground causing the furies to scatter and Dante turns to see a messenger from heaven crossing styx with a bunch of souls fleeing from him. Dante and Virgil bowed to him and the messenger opens the gate to the sixth circle of hell. The heretics live in this circle of hell. It is filled with fire and tombs.

Sin/Sinners

The sin in this canto is only briefly presented but Virgil states “Here are the chiefs of heresies with their followers, of every sect, and much more than you believe are the tombs of laden.” after Dante asks who are the people buried in these tombs. Heresies are people who believe and or practice a religion that is not what is generally accepted in the society that they are apart of.

Punishment/Contrapasso

We have not learned the punishment for the heresies in the 6th circle of hell yet

Discussion Questions

-Why do you think Virgil could not get through the gate as easily as before?

-Why do you think the heresies are buried in tombs? What could the tombs and fire symbolize?

1. What does Virgil fail to do in the beginning of Canto 9?

            a. speak to god

            b. open the gate

            c. be a good tour guide to Dante

            d. say his prayer

2. Who does Dante see in the beginning of the Canto?

            a. three furies

            b. Cyclops

            c. cereberus

            d. medusa

3. What find of creatures are they?

            a. dogs

            b. demons

            c. snakes

            d. half woman half serpent

4. They call medusa to do what?

            a. eat Dante

            b. poison Dante

            c. turn Dante to stone

            d. guide Dante

5. What does Virgil tell Dante to do after the furies call medusa?

            a. close his eyes

b. run

c. pray

d. obey her

6. What creates the loud sound that scatters the furies?

            a. medusa

            b. the messenger

            c. Virgil

            d. Satan

7. Where is this person from?

            a. Heaven

            b. the 3^rd circle of hell

            c. Dis

            d. the 4^th circle of hell

8. What does he do?

            a. give Dante a message

            b. give Virgil a message

            c. kill medusa

            d. open the gate

9. What circle of Hell do they enter?

            a. 9^th

            b. 7^th

            c. 8^th

            d. 6^th

10. What is the sin in this circle?

            a. heresy

            b. gluttony

            c. lust

            d. greed