CANTO 29

CANTO 29 

By: Zahra Syed

SUMMARY: 

As Virgil and Dante leave the Ninth Pouch, Virgil realizes that Dante continues to stare at the sinners. Virgil then condemns him for doing so because there is not enough time and still much left to see. Dante believes that he saw an ancestor of his crying because of his guilt, “...I think a spirit of my blood is weeping for the guilt that costs so much down there.” (Dante 451). As Virgil and Dante carry on, they are struck by arrows “...whose iron heads were made of pity...” (Dante 453).  A strong stench that smelled like “...rotting limbs.” (Dante 453) came from the upcoming Tenth Pouch. This stench is compared to the hospitals of Valdichiana, Maremma, and Sardinia which were made for  malaria victims in these cities. They learn that the Tenth Pouch has four zones for the different types of Falsifiers ( alchemists, impostors, counterfeiters, and liars). The sinners were piled on top of each other and covered from head to toe with scabs. They are forced to stay awake, scratching the itchy scabs which have no cure, “...their nails tore off the scabs like knives...” (Dante 455). Dante then speaks to two Italians, Griffolino and Capocchio. Griffolino was burned at the stake for committing heresy but was in the Tenth Pouch because of his practice of the art of Alchemy. Capocchio was in this Pouch because he “...falsified metals with alchemy...” (Dante 457. 

SIN: 

Falsifiers-attempted to alter things through lies

Alchemy- the claim that holy objects possessed powers including the ability to turn base metals into noble metals like gold or silver. Also known as the ancestor of chemistry (effort to discover the substance common to all metals and change them to make base metals into gold). 

CHARACTERS: 

Geri del Bello- Dante’s father cousin. Known to instigate violence. He was killed by a member of the Sacchetti family 

Griffolino da Arezzo- burned at stake in Siena for heresy. He obtained money from Albero of Siena by pretending he could teach him to fly. “I did not make him Daedalus” (Dante 457). 

Capocchio- a Florentine well-known for being able to mimic others and nature. He and Dante studied natural science together. Capocchio was burned at the stake in Siena in 1293. 

Caccianemico, Brtolommeo, Nicholas- “Except for Stricca...Nicholas...Caccia...” (Dante 457) were rich men from Siena who put their fortunes into one fund and spent it all in twenty months by partying 

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: 

How does the metaphor, “I did not make him Daedalus” (Dante 457), relate to the sin Griffolino committed? 

Why do you think Dante’s own family member was giving him threatening gestures such as a stabbing motion?