Canto XX-XXII

CantoXX Line1 "The new pains of Hell that I saw next demand
New lines for this CantoXX..."
The character Dante and Dante have become blurred, or at least Dante is providing narration now. This line makes it seem like Dante, the writer, experienced Hell for himself, as though he is not writing fiction from the point of view of a character Dante, but himself. This makes the book all more powereful because he is not just suggesting all these people are in Hell who he knows but they are truly their, because he saw them with his own eyes.

CantoXXI Line "So it will not be seen That you are here, find some jagged outcrop and crouch behind it..."
The people being flung into the boiling tar are those who sold their votes and opinions in public office. The black Demon is running around and grabbing people who are accused of this so it is a little ironic that Dante does not have his character thrown into the pit. However this is the first time in the book where Dante hides, interesting that it is done here, because this is the crime Dante was Exiled for. Could Dante be saying something by having to hide and needing to be escorted away from the pits by Demons?



CantoXXII Line80 "Do you , O Malacoda, think I could get
Through all of your defenses safely as this
Except by HEaven's will and happy fate?"
I kinda feel bad for the Demons here. They are just trying to make these wrong doers suffer but even in their own layer they are living in the fear of God. Once Virgil mentions that he is there becaues God wills it they get all teary eyed because they can't do anything to him. This shows a little of how religious Dante is as the mentioning of Gods name makes a pack of the 8th level Demons powerless against them.