Oct 7, 2008

Dante's Inferno | Canto 17 Summary and Analysis

New Characters
Geryon: The monster from the Circles of Fraud; also a monster killed by Hercules; part beast, part man, and part reptile

Usurers: Moneylenders who multiply luxuries at the expense of the earth and others; with Sodomites since both make a steril earth

Summary
The monster Geryon which rises from the Circles of Fraud has a kindly face, the body of a snake, and hairy arms and paws. The two travelers must approach him, however, in order to continue their journey; to reach the Nether Region, they must descend on the creature’s back.

Near the monster is...