Dante's Inferno Canti 14-20

1. The description of the Old Man of Crete in Canto 14. How do you "read" this Old Man? You might use the note on pg 555-7 of the Durling edition as a source of inspiration.

The Old Man is a statue that is placed looking toward Rome. The description is very detailed, "His head is formed of fine gold, and pure silver are his arms and breast; then he is of brass as far as the fork; from there downward he is all refined iron, except that his right foot is baked clay; and on that one, more than on the other, he stands erect" (225). The description also states that each part of him, except his golden head, is broken by a crack that drips tears. This is a very powerful image. The notes in the back suggest that Dante's myth of the Old Man of Crete has not been fully explained. However, it says that it represents in some sense both the history and the present state of mankind. The metals described in the statue represent the different ages in history. Society is at its best during the Golden age, which is why the statue's head is perfectly fine and not cracked at all. As we move down the statue, and the metals are less valuable, it shows the deterioration in society. The tears and cracks, to me, represent the suffering of humanity and how it is constantly breaking as time passes. The cracks and tears will eventually build up, crumbling the society and drowning humanity.


3. The description of Geryon in Canto 17. How do you interpret this fantastical creature that signifies fraud? Why do you think the notion of fraud is important for Dante (especially given the fact that he is a writer- what do writers do? What is the nature of fictional literature? Do you see any other meanings in this creature?


The description of Geryon is deceiving to Dante because he is described as having "the face of a just man, so kindly seemed its outer skin, and the rest of its torso was that of a serpent" (261). However, this fantastical creature signifies fraud because of its various parts. It has the body of a beast, but the face of a just man. That is confusing and tricks Dante at first. The notion of fraud is very important for Dante because it allows him an escape from reality. Writers use "fraud" or fiction to escape from their own lives and imagine things that they cannot actually ever see in real life. It is a way to relieve stress and expand your imagination. Geryon, to me, kind of means, that every person/creature has multiple parts to them. People are not always evil and are not always good. There is good and evil in everyone. It also means that sometimes, things aren't what you see them to be. Even though the monster's head was the face of a just man, it doesn't mean that he is. I think it is trying to teach us a lesson to be wary of others and to really pay attention to the behavior of others.