Filed under: Topography
When I read the Inferno all the way through a few weeks ago, I hadn’t thought of Dante approaching the text with inversion/comic reversal. However, when reading I did note that in Canto 32 of Inferno that Dante presents himself with a surprising turn of character in lines 97-99, when he reaches down and grabs Bocca by the hair and proceeds to torment the man to give his name. Now for the most part, the audience has seen Dante’s character hiding behind the protection of Virgil or tentatively proceeding through the steps to go through Hell (mostly in awe or terrified), but I found that this display was a little random/a surprise. Is this a case of a reversal/inversion as we were talking about in class (a reversal of what we have come to expect as a reaction from Dante)?
Also, since we read about the description of Lucifer (who is a reversal in himself, since his name means light-bearer, but he is now the ruler of darkness), I was wondering why he cries from all six eyes (Canto 34, line 53). I am sure that there is some reference that this eludes to, but I couldn’t find it in the text notes and I can’t seem to think of a solid reason off the top of my head.