Study Questions
1. Why does Dante not describe all the sights he sees in Canto XXXIV?

2. What name does Dante give Satan in Canto XXXIV?

3. How does Satan’s size compare with that of the giants?

4. How are Dante and Virgil able to climb out of the pit?

5. What is the sin of Iscariot?

6. What is Satan doing to the sinners in Region iv?

7. What is the name of Region iv?

8. Name one of the shades that Satan is devouring.

9. Dante says that he grasps the hair of the Worm. To what is he referring?

10. Dante refers to Lucifer in Canto XXXIV. Who is Lucifer?

Answers
1. Dante does not have the words to describe all the sights he sees in Canto XXXIV.

2. Dante calls Satan Dis in Canto XXXIV.

3. Satan is taller than the giants; they come only to his armpits.

4. Dante and Virgil are able to climb out of the pit by climbing up Satan’s body.

5. Iscariot had betrayed Jesus his Lord.

6. Satan is devouring the sinners in Region iv.

7. The name of Region iv is Judecca.

8. The shades that Satan is devouring are Cassius, Brutus, and Judas.

9. The hair of the Worm is a reference to the body of Satan.

10. Lucifer is another name for Satan.