1. "When we had read how the desired smile
was kissed by one who was so true a lover,
this one, who never shall be parted from me,
while all his body trembled, kissed my mouth.
A Gallehault indeed, that book and he
who wrote it, too; that day we read no more."

2. Dante's the pilgrim's and Vergil's reactions to the inscription above the Gates of Hell: what do their reactions suggest about their different characters?

3. "Your knowledge cannot stand against her force;
for she foresees and judges and maintains
her kingdom as the other gods do theirs.
The changes that she brings are without respite:
it is necessity that makes her swift;
and for this reason, men change state so often."

4. Beatrice's speech to Vergil: how does she explain her descent to Hell, and how does Vergil respond to her request?

5. Vergil's description of Cerberus and Dante's: discuss the significance of at least two specific differences in their descriptions.

6. Ciacco's prophesy to Dante about Florence. How does his prophesy reflect Dante the poet's involvement in Florentine politics?

7. The encounter with the Erinyes and the Medusa at the walls of the city of Dis.

8. The pageant of the anonymous in ante-Hell vs. the pageant of Old Testament figures carried from Limbo by Christ. What is the significance of the difference in the way Dante the poet represents these two groups?