Canto III

“JUSTICE MOVED MY HIGH MAKER; / DIVINE POWER MADE ME, / HIGHEST WISDOM AND PRIMAL LOVE” (3.4-6, 55)

“In the Inferno there is consistent, if subtle, disparity between the claims of the souls of the damned and the justice of God that condemned them to Inferno, as the inscription above the entrance to Inferno makes unambiguous… Although intending in some way to justify their actions and /or to elicit pity from Dante-pilgrim, these speakers nevertheless reveal - despite themselves - that they fail to acknowledge or indeed still love their sin, and thus fail to see themselves as God sees them. While recognition of this ironic representation of the damned is currently an accepted reading among Anglo- American scholars of Dante, it is not so for scholars of any nationality with respect to the souls encountered in Virgil’s underworld” (Perkell 128). (BF)

“he introduced me / into the secret things” (3.20-21, 55).

Most commentators take the “secret things” to be “knowledge of the other world” (Durling 63), “Things ”hidden“ to the living, few of whom travel through this world of the dead. This canto is full of reminiscences of Aeneas' descent to Hades. See Aen. VI, 264-67” (Singleton), and “those things that are hidden from the knowledge of mortals” (Hollander). However, there is also a connection to divine vision being made here. From John’s revelation of the Apocalypse, “ Now when the seven thunders uttered their voices, I was about to write; but I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, “Seal up the things which the seven thunders uttered, and do not write them”” (New King James Version Bible, Revelation 10:4). John is told to not write everything he sees in his revelation. Moses writes, “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but those things which are revealed belong toShow me your ways us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law” (New King James Version Bible, Deuteronomy 29:29). This sets up a tradition of God’s knowledge of all the “secret things” which man can know only when God reveals them. The prophet Daniel also adds: “He reveals deep and secret things; He knows what is in the darkness, And light dwells with Him” (New King James Version Bible, Daniel 2:22). In this line, Dante elevates Virgil’s knowledge to God’s knowledge of the “secret things” as he will be the one guiding and revealing the other worlds. (SJ)

“There sighs, weeping, loud wailing resounded / through the starless air” (3.22-23, 55)

Also another reference to this as a divine vision. Jesus first speaks of Hell through a warning that not everyone will enter the kingdom of heaven: "And I say to you that many will come from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. But the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (New King James Version Bible, Matthew 8:11-12). In Inferno, Dante uses the language from the New Testament to describe those suffering in Hell (see also Matthew 22:11-13, Matthew 24:44-51, Matthew 25:14-30). (SJ)

Cont'd: "...made a tumult that turns forever in that air darkened without time, like the sand when a whirlwind blows” (3.22-30, 55-56)

Our introduction into the gates of hell reveals “the world upside down,” a literary topos that depicts a place “where everything is out of joint” (Curtius 95). Here, there are no stars in the sky nor a sun to provide daylight, though the moon does appear in later cantos. The concept of inversion continues throughout the Inferno, compounding the sense of abomination. (MC)

“By another way, through other ports will you come to shore” (3.91-92, 59)

Most of the commentators note that this exchange between Charon and Dante “imply that the pilgrim is destined for salvation” (Durling 67) because “Charon recognizes at once that Dante is alive, and he also appears to know that after death Dante will not go to Hell but will cross to the shore of the mountain of Purgatory, and in a much lighter craft” (Singleton). However, another allusion seems appropriate here from the account of the Wise Men following the star of Jesus’ birth.

7 Then Herod, when he had secretly called the [b]wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also.”

9 When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. 11 And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

12 Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way (New King James Version Bible, Matthew 2:7-12).

After encountering the young Messiah, the Magi are warned not to return to Herod, whose intention was to kill Jesus, but to return home by “another way”. Charon in these lines seems to know that when Dante dies he will be saved after this journey–his own encounter with salvation. He will, like the Wise Men, go to his spiritual home “by another way”. (SJ)

“And my leader to him: “Charon do not/torture yourself with anger: this willed/where what is willed can be done/so ask no more” (3.94-96,104)

Dante and Virgil meet Charon when they reach the river. Charon controls the boat and brings souls across the River Acheron. Charon advises Dante to make sure he comes back to the boat since he is living and cannot cross the river. Virgil takes this time to tell Charon that Dante’s journey is ordered by God. Dante describes Charon as having a long white beard, unkempt hair, and eyes like embers. In Greek Mythology, Charon is the boatman that brings souls who have passed away across the river Styx and Acheron. Charon is not considered a Greek god but is considered a deity who is under the rule of Hades. Charon has been depicted in multiple ways but one common theme in each depiction is that he is always scary looking. Some depictions are more intense than others though. (MB)

"Charon the demon, with eyes like glowing coals, making signs to them, gathers them all in; he beats with his oar whoever lingers... the evil seed of Adam throw themselves from that shore one by one, when beckoned to, each like a falcon to its lure" (3.109-116)

These lines directly mimic the vision that Aeneas has of Charon in the Underworld. See excerpt from Aeneid (Ln. 356-359) below:

There they stood, pleading to be the first ones ferried over, Reaching out their hands in longing toward the farther shore. But the grim ferryman ushers aboard now these, now those, Others he thrusts away, back from the water’s edge.

In these lines of the Inferno, however, rather than charging forth to get to their destined afterlife, it is said in the inferno that sinners’ fear turns to desire because of the strength of God’s justice spurring them. (CV)