Circle+1

= = =Circle 1 - Limbo (Canto IV)=



Summary of Canto IV
Regaining consciousness after hearing a clap of thunder, Dante finds himself on a boat - steered by Virgil - approaching the first circle of Hell: Limbo. The souls that are kept here are those who led virtuous lives, but were either born before the coming of Christ or were never baptized. Virgil himself resides here. Virgil tells Dante that a number of Old Testament figures were able to escape Limbo - among them Noah and Moses - when Christ descended into Hell in the time between death and resurrection. Many ancient Greek philosophers and poets reside in Limbo. Virgil introduces Dante to the "great poets of antiquity" and other historical figures, both real and imaginary. In Limbo, the souls trapped live in a Castle. It does not appear that life in Limbo has deviated greatly from life on Earth. Perhaps the only difference is that the world in Limbo is shrouded in darkness.

Key Characters of Limbo
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 * Homer: A blind poet from ancient Greece. He is thought to have lived between the 8th and 9th centuries B.C. He was the author of the epic poems //The Iliad// and //The Odyssey.//
 * Aristotle: Believed to be one of the greatest philosophers of all time. Lived from 384–322 B.C. His ideas have shaped the realms of logic, science, and dialectic (non-scientific reasoning).
 * Socrates:Without writing anything, Socrates changed the world of philosophy during his lifetime, as well as formed much of modern philosophy. He lived from 469–399 B.C.

Other Characters

 * [|Plato]
 * [|Aeneas]
 * [|Lavinia]

Discussion Questions

 * 1) What do you make of the pity that Dante feels towards the souls that are trapped in Limbo? What does Dante's sense of pity say about his feelings about divine justice?
 * 2) Why do you think that Dante feels pity towards the souls in Limbo? Do you think he will have pity for all of the souls he encounters while on his journey? Why or why not?
 * 3) What do you make of the souls who lived before the time of Christ? Should they be in Limbo, simply because they lived before the time of Christ? Is this another instance of the tension of divine justice?
 * 4) If the souls in Limbo aren't really being harmed in any way, and life in Limbo doesn't depart greatly from life on earth, are these souls actually being punished? Does //contrapasso// take place here?

Sources:
 * 1) Information on the poet [|Homer]
 * 2) Information on [|Aristotle]
 * 3) Information on [|Socrates]