BLOG POST 6: FREE YOUR MIND-The Rest will Follow

In Cantos XXI, This is where Dante is entering the Fifth Pouch of the Eighth Circle of Hell. This is where he spends a lot of time explaining in detail about the “Astounding Darkness”. It's basically just a great big pit filled with boiling tar. He’s trying to figure out what it is where his mentor Virgil goes yelling at him to watch out cause a demon comes racing up the rocks on the side of the pit but it just grabbed a new soul tossing him into the blackness ignoring Dante. The sinner comes up struggling for breathe to where the “ Malabranche” (Evil Claws) goes thrusting the sinner back deep into the tar using the prongs. A bunch of stuff happens and basically Virgil and Dante gets demon escorts to continue on with the journey. Dante looks for people to talk to in the tar. In Cantos XXII, conversation with a soul named Navarrese explains how he severed in the household of King Thibault therefore sent to fifth pouch since he accepted bribes. They end up making an exit since the demons went flying after a soul that intended to escape. In Cantos XXIII, Virgil and Dante end up being chased after a mad pack of demons where Virgil pretty much grabs Dante, they go into the Sixth Pouch where they meet a group of souls that are along the circle. They are wearing clothes that are lined with lead to make them extremely heavy. Dante is yet again recognized by another soul who begs him to have a discussion. Dante gets to see one soul that is a crucified sinner that served as a high priest under Pontius Pilate. They discovered that, they had been lied to about the route. fixed it. In Cantos XXIV, They are in the Seventh Pouch, this is where Virgil and Dante face more dangerous things like traveling over the rocks, a long climb, descending a wall, watching serpents biting and setting sinners on fire. The soul is Tuscan, Vanni, Fucci. In Cantos XXV and than Cantos XXVI, it went from Virgil and Dante seeing snakes transform into the soul, to the soul transforming into snake and continuing. It goes to recognizing the thieves, talks to Ulysses and learns about his death. They meet another in Cantos XXVII whose name is Guido Da Montefeltro and dealt with religious and political issues damning him to hell. Advice is offered, Contradictions happen, the devil took Da Montefeltro to Minos.