In Canto IX, Dante returns to his customary style and grasp of his material. There is a short passage of dramatic impact: Virgil, the fearless guide, stands pale and helpless, speaking brokenly to himself. His incantations and reason are useless against those who willfully dared to oppose Jesus himself, and Virgil is forced to ask for the help that Heaven promised. Allegorically, this episode is another reminder that human reason can’t achieve salvation without Divine aid. Virgil, as reason, can’t understand sin committed in full knowledge and with deliberate will.
Dante is also afraid, but he is sensitive to Virgil’s feelings, asking in a roundabout way if the poets will ever leave Hell. Virgil assures Dante that he returned from the darkest lair. Here, Dante tests Virgil’s suitability as a guide, and Virgil soon proves himself.
