Ashley LeBlanc Canto 24 November 20, 2007

Seventh Bolgia: The Theives They enter a pit of reptiles torturing the sinners by binding their hands and coiling themselves around their limbs. It is analyzed that “Thievery is reptilian in it’s secrecy, therefore it is punished by reptiles.” The poets cross the bridge of the Seventh Bolgia to observe the Thieves.

Dante’s Observations Dante observes that a thief not only destroys it’s victim by stealing from them…but also destroys themselves over and over again. It is for this reason that after the snakes bite the ones they are torturing their souls burst into flames only to recreate themselves from their own ashes to endure more torture.

Serpents fly around piercing the sinners… Virgil and Dante watch as one reptile bites a sinner in the neck where it immediately burst into flames. After rising from it’s ashes the soul introduces itself as Vanni Fucci. He is discomforted by Dante wanting to know his story…yet tells it anyway. He explains that he is the one that stole the treasure from the Sacristy.

Vanni Fucci… …feels that he needs revenge for revealing his identity to Dante. He proceeds to tell him what is expected to happen to Italy. He then closes the canto by saying, “And I have told you this that it may grieve you.”