In Canto XXIII, Dante arrives in the 6th trench of the 8th circle of hell where the hypocrites reside. Dante talks with two Jovial Friars in this canto and sees that they wear glittering cloaks lined with lead on the inside, weighing down the sinners. This punishment is fitting for these sinners because a hypocrite cares only about what can be seen on the surface. The hypocrite wants to project a shiny image on the outside to keep other people from seeing their selfishness on the inside. The heavy robes the hypocrites are forced to wear also symbolize the weight of their sin. Throughout the canto, Dante uses imagery and symbolism to reinforce the Christian message that hypocrisy is a grave sin.
The highlighted sinner in this area is Caiaphas, the Jewish high priest who organized the plan to crucify Jesus. Caiaphas’ contrapasso is to be walked on by all the other sinners while he is staked to the ground. It makes sense that Caiaphas is crucified to the ground since he called for the crucifixion of Jesus. At the same time, this punishment resembles the Greek myth of Prometheus, who was punished by being chained down and having other beings torture him. By drawing on this pre-Christian myth, Dante is connecting his message about the dangers of hypocrisy to past beliefs.
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In this Canto, Dante decides to include Virgil marveling at Caiaphas and his punishment. Dante writes, “And I saw Virgil staring down amazed at this body stretching out in crucifixion” (XXIII. 124-5). By having Virgil take interest in the damnation of a famous figure in Christianity, Dante shows a significant believer of Roman/Greek mythology looking to the new ideas and stories of Christianity. Overall, using this scene, Dante sends a message to readers about the newfound prominence of Christianity, taking over from Virgil’s beliefs and inspiring a new