Canto 33 speaks of the realm of Ptolomea, where the betrayers of guests are placed. Here, their bodies are encased in ice but their heads are left exposed, their tears freezing to their faces as they weep. I cannot say for certain if this a fitting punishment for these sinners, but it is definitely poetic. These sinners betrayed those whom came into their care, and do not deserve to hide their faces in shame such as with those whom betray their family. They also have no right to weep in any way comfortably for such sin, and so their tears only cause them more pain. Whether fitting or not, the most intriguing detail of this section is that you could end up in this zone of Hell long before you actually die, just as Brother Albergio and Ser Branca s'Oria have, their souls having been replaced with a demon. It is adds to the poetic nature of the punishment, for commiting such an act turns you into a different person, a different being than you were before, and so you are sent early to your punishment.
I commented on Nate and Sierra's posts.
This punishment baffled me as well. I think you're on to something with the observation that they don't deserve to bury their heads. When you consider the ancients, keep in mind that mistreating guests was a terrible offense. Maybe the professors will enlighten us tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteThat is such a great point. In many cultures, treatment of guests is still very important, and it is a huge deal to mistreat someone that is in your care as a guest.
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