Canto 4

Kellie Krim

 

                                                             Dante’s Inferno Canto IV

                                                                       

Summary:

Dante woke up and found himself at the first circle which was Limbo with Virgil. Dante and Virgil headed to the entrance of the Limbo. Dante asked Virgil if he was afraid because he had lost color in his face. Virgil replied that he had not lost the coloring because he felt sorry for the people who suffer in Limbo. Then Virgil led the way in Limbo while Dante followed. While they were in there Dante heard sighing of unbaptized children. Before they moved on Virgil wanted to explain to Dante why they are here. He stated “they did not sin, and if they have merits, it is not enough, because they did not receive baptism”. Virgil told him that people who lived before Christ were saved if they “adored” God. If they did not live before Christ then they did not adore God and was sent to Limbo. Dante then saw four shadows coming toward them. They were the poets Dante looked up to; Homer, Horace, Ovid, and Lucan. They greeted Dante and he was honored by them to join their group. They came across a noble castle (castle of wisdom) it was surrounded by a stream. When he went in he saw many people he was familiar with such as Electra daughter of Atlas, Hector and Aeneas, and Caesar. Homer, Horace, Ovid, and Lucan disappeared and so it was just him and Virgil again. They made their way out of the castle and came across to a dark place.

 

Character Analysis:

v  Homer- supreme poet (led them to the castle)

v  Horace-satirist (led them to the castle)

v  Ovid-poet that Dante looks up too (led them to the castle)

v  Lucan-poet that Dante looks up too (led them to the castle)

 

 

High Order Thinking Question:

1)      Do you think as a human being it is fair to have the belief that regardless of what you accomplish or how good or caring a person you are and have done nothing wrong (Ex: Baby) to wind up in eternal Limbo simply because you weren’t baptized into Christianity.

 

 

Questions

1)      When Dante enters Limbo what does he hear?

a)      Crying

b)      Sighing

c)       Both a and b

 

2)      Who states the following, “The suffering of the peoples who are here below, paints on my face that pity which you perceive as fear. Let us go, for the long way urges us.”

a)      Dante

b)      Lucan

c)       Virgil

 

3)      Why were the souls sent to Limbo

a)      They were born before Christ

b)      They prayed to God

c)       They were born after Christ

 

4)      Who were the four people that were heading towards Dante and Virgil?

a)      Homer, Caesar, Beatrice, and Ovid

b)      Homer, Ovid, Horace, And Lucan

c)       Lucan, Aeneas, Ovid, and Beatrice

 

5)      True or False: Dante became the sixth member of Virgils group.

 

6)      What did Dante come across to?

a)      Castle

b)      River

c)       Gate to the next circle

 

7)      What does it symbolize?

a)      Death

b)      Both a and c

c)       Wisdom

 

8)      What was the place surrounded by?

a)      Meadow

b)      Souls

c)       River

 

9)      Who was one of the people Dante recognized

a)      Electra

b)      Hector

c)       Caesar

d)      All the above

 

10)   Who disappears at the end of the chapter?

a)      Souls

b)      The poets

c)       Virgil