. . . When I awoke,
Before the dawn, amid their sleep I heard
My sons (for they were with me) weep and ask
For bread. Right cruel art thou, if no pang
Thou feel at thinking what my heart foretold;
And if not now, why use thy tears to flow?
Now had they waken'd; and the hour drew near
When they were wont to bring us food; the mind
Of each misgave him through his dream, and I
Heard, at its outlet underneath lock'd up
The horrible tower: whence, uttering not a word,
I look'd upon the visage of my sons.
I wept not: so all stone I felt within,
They wept: and one, my little Anselm, cried,
'Thou lookest so! Father, what ails thee?' Yet
I shed no tear, nor answer'd all that day
Nor the next night, until another sun
Came out upon the world. When a faint beam
Had to our doleful prison made its way,
And in four countenances I descried
The image of my own, on either hand
Through agony I bit. . . .

Count Ugolino’s harrowing account in Dante’s “Inferno” reveals the depths of human suffering and betrayal. In this passage, Ugolino recounts the agonizing moments trapped in a tower with his sons and grandsons, left to starve by the treachery of Archbishop Ruggieri. The imagery is stark: as Ugolino awakens, he hears the cries of his children begging for bread—a poignant symbol of innocence and desperation. Yet, Ugolino’s own heart is "so all stone" that he cannot weep, illustrating a profound internal suffering that transcends visible expression. His son Anselm’s innocent inquiry, "Father, what ails thee?" underscores the tragic helplessness of the situation. Ugolino’s inability to cry, while his sons weep, is indicative of a grief so intense it numbs the soul. This passage not only highlights the cruelty of betrayal but also the unbearable burden of witnessing one’s loved ones suffer. Ugolino’s torment, symbolized by his biting through agony, reflects the theme of divine justice that permeates the "Divine Comedy," where earthly sins result in eternal punishment.