Dante's Inferno Canti 21-27

4. What do you make of the fact that Dante places Ulysses in Hell (Canto 26)? If you have already read the Odyssey, might this seem at odds? with the Ulysses we find there? What do you make of Dante's decision?

Ulysses and Diomedes were punished together because of the three sins they committed. "And within their flame they bemoan the deceit of of the horse that made the gate to send forth the Romans' noble seed; there within they weep for the art that makes Deidamia, though dead, still grieve for Achilles; and there they bear the punishment for the Palladium" (401). This quote basically sums up what Ulysses and Diomedes did. Dante and Virgil then listen to what Ulysses say about what happened and the Canto sort of abruptly ends. In the beginning of the next Canto, we find out that "the sweet poet," meaning Virgil, has given permission to the flame of Ulysses and Diomedes to leave. Dante is clearly confused and does not know what to punish them for. What may seem as a sin to Dante can be seen as a righteous act to others, which is why I think Virgil makes the decision. For example, the Trojan horse was a trick that allowed the Greeks access into the city of Troy, but it also helped them to end the conflict.