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Presented by Zoe and McKenzie
Geryon is a mythical creature from Spanish culture that originally had three heads and three bodies. The number three is significant to the holy trinity that is referenced throught the divine comedy. He has the face of a man, the torso and paws of a lion, the lower body of a reptile, the tail of a scorpion, and wings like a dragon. The monster itself displays the animals of sin; the lion with paws amd the leopard with the spottedness of the creature. This image represents the transition of classification of sins and fraud. Dante and Virgil must fly on Geryon back to travel across this cricle and enter the next.
These sinners are crouched along a burning plain near the edge of a cliff while wearing a leather purse around their neck. The purses are blazoned with a coat of arms while the sinners eyes gush tears fixated on their purses. As they created nothing in their lives they are surrounded by emptiness. Because their professions brought shame to their family name they are forced to look upon their family crest for eternity.
" azure on or, a kind of lion" ( pg 136 line 56)
This is an allusion to the arms of the Gianfigliazzi of Florence. The sinner is not directly mentioned but it assumed that Dante is referencing Catello di Rosso Gianfigliazzi. He was a usurer in France and was kinighted on his return to Florence.
"on a blood red field, a goose whiter than whey" ( pg 136 line 57)
The Ghibelline of the Ubriachi of Florence's family coat of arms is alluded to. Most likely the sinner is Ciappo Ubriachi, who was known as a usurer. This mention is significant because it relates to the strife between the Guelphs and the Ghibellines. Dante was a member of the Guelphs so this reference shows his hatred toward the Ghibellines
" sow azure on field argent"(pg 136 line 59)
These coat of arms are the Scrovegni from Padua.This sinner, who is probably Reginaldo Scrovegni,has a conversation and is eager to tell Dante the future as he does not know the present and tries to make sure his neighbor Vitaliano is known as a usurer too. Scrovegni is trying to assure that Vitaliano ends up in Hell. These allusions to sinners in Florence show the inequality that Dante faced. Dante was exiled for a false accusation of grafting whereas those who actually sinned were held to a higher status.
Dante is very scared while riding on Geryon. He alludes to the fear Icarus had when the wax on his wings started to melt and the fear Phaeton had when he lost control of the chariot and Zeus killed him with his lightning bolt.
He says, " I think there was no greater fear the day Phaeton let loose the reins and burned the sky along the great scar of the milky way, nor when Icarus, too close to the sun's track felt the wax melt, unfeathering his loins, and heard his father cry "Turn back! Turn back!"-than I felt when I found myself in the air, afloat in space with nothing visible but the neormous beast that bore me there"(153, lines 99-108)
Icarus Flying near the sun
Phaeton when he loses control of the chariot and gets struck by lightning and falls