CliffsNotes on

The Divine Comedy: Inferno

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About the Poet

About the Poem

Background of the Poem
Introduction to the Poem
The Structure of the Poem
A Brief Synopsis
List of Characters
Maps

Summaries and Commentaries

Canto I
Canto II
Canto III
Canto IV
Canto V
Canto VI
Canto VII
Canto VIII
Canto IX
Canto X
Canto XI
Canto XII
Canto XIII
Canto XIV
Canto XV
Canto XVI
Canto XVII
Canto XVIII
Canto XIX
Canto XX
Cantos XXI and XXII
Canto XXIII
Cantos XXIV and XXV
Cantos XXVI and XXVII
Canto XXVIII
Cantos XXIX and XXX
Canto XXXI
Cantos XXXII and XXIII
Canto XXXIV

Character Analyses

Dante
Virgil

Critical Essays

The Beginning and the Ending: Francesca and Ugolino
Dante the Poet and Dante the Pilgrim

Study Help

Quiz
Identify the Quote
Essay Questions
Practice Projects

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Quiz

1:  How many circles does Dante's Hell have?

a. 7

b. 5

c. 11

d. 9
2:  Why were many of the residents in Limbo there for eternity?

a. They were Gluttons

b. They were treacherous to their masters

c. They do not know the salvation of Christ

d. They sinned against nature
3:  Which of the following sinners is not in Satan's jaws?

a. Cassius

b. Brutus

c. Brunetto Latini

d. Judas
4:  Dante's journey through Hell begins on Good Friday and ends on

a. Holy Saturday

b. Easter Sunday

c. Lent

d. The following Friday
5:  At the end of the journey, when the poets reach the upper world, what do the poets see?

a. A giant, shimmering mountain

b. The stars

c. Another circle of Hell

d. Beatrice
6:  On the day Christ died, he went to Hell to do what?

a. Assure Satan that he's lost the battle

b. Prove wrong those who denied his divine paternity

c. Retrieve a number of the virtuous pagans

d. Visit with old friends
7:  In keeping with Dante's theme of retribution, the Theives in the seventh chasm consistently steal what from one another?

a. Their memories

b. Their blood

c. Their happiness

d. Their body forms
8:  In addition to the Christian deities, Dante invokes upon whom to help him?

a. Ra, the Egyptian Sun God

b. The nine Muses

c. Lillith, the dark goddess of the Pagans

d. Buddha
9:  As the poets reach the final circle of Hell called Judecca, in what condition do they find the sinners there?

a. Completely engulfed in flame

b. Completely encased in ice

c. Writhing in their own, personal, agonies

d. Full of remorse upon their complete removal from God
10:  Which of the following is the best translation for the word Malebolge?

a. men's cesspool

b. bad leader

c. evil ditch

d. dirty hill
11:  Who is the ferryman of the river Styx in Hell?

a. Phlegyas

b. Ulysses

c. Jason

d. Satan
12:  Who said the following, upon seeing Dante in Hell: “Such as I was alive; such am I also in death.”

a. Ciacco

b. Pope Nicholas III

c. Virgil

d. Capaneus



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