Dante's Inferno: An Annotation

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Dante’s Inferno
Annotation

The beginning of Canto nine begins at the point in the story right after Virgil and Dante were denied further passage through hell (passage into the city of Dis, to be more specific). In this particular passage there are significant developments that take place. This point in the story is of such great importance because it is the first time in the story when Virgil is helpless and actually needs outside assistance. Because of the problem the characters are faced with it is easy to notice how this passage accurately communicates Dante’s growing internal and external conflict. Dante’s internal conflict is communicated through details interpreted by the reader; his external conflict is communicated through details taken directly from the text; and finally one can see Dante’s overall apprehension about future events with details that can be inferred from the language of the author.
In the first part of this passage one can see how Dante was struggling internally by interpreting the text that is presented. Dante was starting to feel anxiety because, for the first time, Virgil was not able to advance without any difficulty. In the passage it doesn’t directly state that Dante is feeling anxiety; however from the following quote one can pick up on Dante’s condition: “My face had paled to a mask of cowardice/ when I saw my Guide turn back. The sight of it/ the sooner brought the color back to his.” In addition, about six lines later, Dante communicated a similar idea when he says, “I saw too well how the words with which he ended/ covered his start, and even perhaps I drew/ a worse conclusion from that than he intended.” Because Dante saw that his Guide, one who he had placed all his confidence in, was actually trying to hide his uneasiness from Dante, Dante started to feel great anxiety and internal conflict.
In the next part of this passage, Dante’s external conflict becomes increasingl...