Dante Book 1 Canto VII Scene II

 Scene 2

 

“I can’t make out of it.” Virgil had reached the Fourth Circle and was confronted by a series of ditches seen by him, circular in design and held the radius that stretched. It was like race tracks with an inert center that looked like a small hill. The gathered in the circle was dense but they all seem to be pulling hard with their strength the huge chest.

“It’s a huge circle.” Dante then saw the circle was alike the mire. There were the souls there pulling the heavy weights that looked like chests yet each chest towers over the souls. The chests were secured by ropes which the souls there were pulling the weight of the chest behind them. That was not all. Due to the tight gathered, there were fights when they get into each other’s way.

“Look at them pulling those chests. It looked heavy.” Dante said. “Who are those on the hill?”

There was another group, and they were also with their chests.

They called the other names.

“Hoarders!”

The ones pulling the chests at the circle then roared out at the ones on the hill.

“Wasters!’

Soon they end up fighting with their fists and legs. They climbed over each other to fight or pry open the chests. Those who opened the chest were soon seen taking the toss-out contents to load it into their chest. In the fight, the ones who were grabbing the contents may have their contents in their chest cases taken too by others. It became then a fight to save what they could. It was chaos.

Just as it started on the fight, the fight came to an end. The two groups split and the wasters were seen to pull their chest up the hill, to drop the content in the top which appeared to be a cavity. The amazing part was that out of the mire in the bottom of the hill, the contents appeared and the ones there called the Hoarders collected the contents to place into their chests

Then the name callings resumed and the fight took place, and it was all as before.

“Why do they do that? They knew that they are bound to collide again.” Virgil said to Dante.

“I don’t know. Let us get closer to one of the ditches.” Dante replied.

“What is there…” Virgil was ignored and choose to follow Dante.

Virgil looked at the other who had surprised him earlier at the entrance to the Circle. Dante had sounded antagonistic then. He had seen Ciacco and then Plutus before her turned into a ‘be damned’ attitude. Virgil held his question then and followed on Dante. They saw two figures cursing at each other on the contents there. One was picking up the contents to store them while the other was taking out the contents to toss them away.

“Hoarders!” The one tossing the contents called out.

“Wasters!” The one storing the content cursed at the other. “Why do you hoard?”

It was then Dante intervened.

“May I assist here?” Dante asked.

“Be away, you oaf. I will have one like you stand with the other to be taken what is mine.” The figure was covered in the mire contents with a trinket of gold pieces hanging the neck.

“Why do you battle for these items?” Dante asked. “They are …”

“They are mine and mine only.” The collector looked to Dante. “Stay your line with the Wasters.”

It was then Dante recognized the face of the collector.

“I earned it. I will keep it. And in death, I am its master.” The figures spoke to Dante.

“I know you, Shylock of Venice. You are a person of means and yet you craved more. You hoard your wealth when Venice needs it then due to the flood?”

“They are mine, and all mine.” The soul of the miser snorts out.

“And when is enough for you?” Dante asked the figure collecting the contents of the mire.

“To be hoarder from wasters like them. They cared not for the gold, silver, or copper. I do. I am a Hoarder here. What is enough when I can get more?” The soul of Shylock replied. “Does the river stop its flow? It swells when they are more. Does the sun never rise to shine? It still does and was never enough.”

Dante was stunned by the reply/ It reflected onto him that the soul told him of the sin there. It was gluttony. Nothing was ever fulfilling. May he be the same; forever searching for answers.

“I am just as guilty,” Dante mumbled to himself.

“No, Dante. You are not. You are different from him. He is a hoarder and greed is his sin. He agreed on the material things are his to accumulate. Like those in the ditch, they clash not for their greed on getting more of the others but in the clash, they stand to lose too. They cared not and maybe in this Circle they are made to repeat those acts endlessly.” Virgil looked at Dante. “Your actions are not the same. You accumulated for intellectual. You expand knowledge and that is not a sin. You make use of your mind. Lucan told you so at Limbo. We need to expand our mind.”

“Are you sure, Virgil? Is my journey here to collect knowledge or to relook at God’s afterlife?” Dante looked to Virgil. “I am unsure of myself. I felt as if I am getting regressive.”

“I… What is wrong with you? Since we left the last Circle, you have sounded strange. Are you well, Dante?” Virgil felt that something was not right with Dante.

Dante ignored his question and decided to walk on.