Canto 5 Summary and Analysis
New Characters
Minos: Legendary King of Crete who occupies the threshold of the Second Circle and assigns places to the damned
Those Guilty of the Sin of Lust: Include Lancelot, Cleopatra, Achilles
Francesca and Paolo: Adulterous couple killed by Francesca’s husband, Gianciotto da Verruchio
Summary
As Dante descends from the First Circle, he finds that the Second Circle holds greater woe. As he goes further down into Hell, he finds those guilty of the sin of lust. The threshold to the Second Circle is guarded by Minos; each person who enters must confess to Minos, who decides their fate. The place is dark and...
(The entire section is 573 words.)
