A STEP BEYOND

TESTS AND ANSWERS

TEST 1

_____ 1. The rings of Hell in Dante's vision

A. are arranged in the order in which the sins were committed
in time.

B. contain sinners arranged in the chronological order of their
lives.

C. are arranged in degrees of evil of the sin, the most sinful
closest to the center of the earth.

D. contain only the contemporaries of Dante.

_____ 2. Which of the following descriptions of Satan is
accurate?

A. He has three sets of wings that he beats continuously.
B. He has three faces and each of the faces is chewing a
traitor.

C. He is frozen in the bottom of Hell.
D. All of the above are correct.

_____ 3. Dante's journey through Hell can be seen as
symbolic of the thematic statement that

A. certain souls are chosen to fight the battle of good against
evil.

B. understanding the nature of sin is possible only to those of
extraordinary intellect.

C. salvation is attainable to those willing to commit
themselves to an active pursuit of it.

D. man often goes through long, unnecessary journeys to
reach his ultimate goals.

A. There are enough monsters there to prevent him from
escaping.

B. From that point, he is equidistant from all the points on
earth and has equal access to the souls from all nations.

C. Satan gathers his power and energy from the energy at the
center of gravity.

D. According to the Ptolemaic world view, it is the point
farthest from God.

_____ 5. Dante finds himself, at the beginning of the Inferno,
lost in the Dark Wood. What explanation does he offer for
being there?

A. He was led there by Beatrice and the three animals.
B. He has not been sufficiently active in the pursuit of God.
C. He was led there by Virgil.
D. He offers no explanation for this placement.

6. Briefly explain why Dante ordered the sins he included in
Hell the way he did.

7. Select a famous person who was born after 1321 (the year
of Dante's death) whom you are fairly certain Dante might
have included had he known him or her. Tell where in the
Inferno you think Dante would have placed this person and
why.

8. Explain why Virgil was chosen as Dante's guide.

9. "Dante's language and style reflect the reality he is
describing." Support this statement with direct references to
one specific canto.

10. Compare and contrast two pairs of sinners in the Inferno
and explain why they are used.

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