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Introductory
Note to the Reader This is the third time in my life that I
have the opportunity to read The Divine Comedy. Each reading has
revealed new layers of meaning, but this time, I chose to delve specifically
into the disturbing episode of Count Ugolino’s eternal feast on Archbishop
Ruggieri’s skull. I wanted to better understand what Dante
was ethically and theologically exposing through this grotesque and
unforgettable scene. The following paper represents that
exploration, an attempt to see beyond the horror and uncover the moral
architecture that Dante constructs around betrayal, vengeance, and the dark
logic of sin. And here it is. |
Cannibalism and Conscience: The Ethics of Revenge
in Dante’s Inferno Canto XXXIII
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Abstract This
essay examines the ethical implications of Count Ugolino’s eternal act of
cannibalistic vengeance in Canto XXXIII of Dante Alighieri’s Inferno.
Situated in the Ninth Circle, this episode dramatizes themes of betrayal,
corrupted reason, political treachery, moral cannibalism, and the tension
between human revenge and divine justice. Drawing on scholarly analyses by
Hollander, Singleton, Barolini, and others, the paper argues that Dante’s
portrayal of Ugolino serves as a symbolic critique of unregulated vengeance
and the spiritual self-devouring that results from rejecting forgiveness.
Through close textual analysis of the Italian and English verses and
references to Thomistic moral philosophy, the essay situates Ugolino’s
punishment within Dante’s larger ethical vision, where sin becomes an
inward-turning act that annihilates both self and community. The episode
ultimately reveals how hatred, when allowed to reign unchecked, becomes an
eternal feast upon one’s own damnation. |
Keywords: Dante
Alighieri, Ugolino, Inferno XXXIII, Vengeance, Betrayal, Thomistic Ethics,
Ethics, Moral Cannibalism, Moral Theology, Dante Studies |
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Resumen Este ensayo analiza las implicaciones éticas del
acto eterno de venganza caníbal del conde Ugolino en el Canto XXXIII del Infierno
de Dante Alighieri. Situado en el Noveno Círculo, este episodio dramatiza
temas de traición, corrupción de la razón, conflicto político, canibalismo
moral y la tensión entre la venganza humana y la justicia divina. A partir de
análisis de Hollander, Singleton, Barolini y otros críticos, el ensayo
sostiene que la representación de Ugolino funciona como una crítica simbólica
contra la venganza descontrolada y el autoaniquilamiento espiritual que surge
cuando se rechaza el perdón. Mediante un análisis textual detallado de los
versos en italiano e inglés y referencias a la ética tomista, el ensayo ubica
el castigo de Ugolino dentro de la visión ética más amplia de Dante, donde el
pecado se convierte en un acto que se vuelve hacia dentro y destruye tanto al
individuo como a la comunidad. El episodio revela, en última instancia, cómo
el odio perpetuo se transforma en un banquete eterno sobre la propia
condenación. |
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Resumo Este ensaio investiga as implicações éticas do ato
eterno de vingança canibal do conde Ugolino no Canto XXXIII do Inferno
de Dante Alighieri. Localizado no Nono Círculo, o episódio dramatiza temas de
traição, razão corrompida, conflito político, canibalismo moral e a tensão
entre a vingança humana e a justiça divina. Com base em estudos de Hollander,
Singleton, Barolini e outros, o ensaio argumenta que a representação de
Ugolino funciona como uma crítica simbólica à vingança descontrolada e ao
autoaniquilamento espiritual resultante da recusa do perdão. Por meio de
análise textual dos versos em italiano e inglês e referências à ética
tomista, o estudo insere o castigo de Ugolino na visão ética mais ampla de
Dante, segundo a qual o pecado é um movimento interior que destrói o
indivíduo e a comunidade. O episódio demonstra que o ódio eterno se converte
em um banquete interminável sobre a própria perdição. |
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Introduction
At the
lowest depth of the Inferno, Dante encounters a bizarre scene of frozen
hatred: two souls locked in a grotesque intimacy, one gnawing on the
skull of the other. In Inferno Canto XXXIII, Count Ugolino della
Gherardesca is eternally devouring the head of Archbishop Ruggieri degli
Ubaldini, symbolizing vengeance perpetuated beyond death. Dante introduces them
in the Ninth Circle, specifically in Antenora, “which holds traitors to
country, city, and party” Armenikus & Statler 2025). The episode is a
masterpiece of ethical symbolism, portraying how betrayal and vengeance consume
both body and soul.
“His mouth
uplifted from his horrid meal,
that sinner wiped his lips upon the hair
of the head he had laid waste behind.” (Inferno XXXIII.1–3,
trans. Musa, 2003)
“La bocca sollevò dal fiero pasto
quel peccator, forbendola a’ capelli
del capo ch’elli avea di retro guasto.” (Inferno XXXIII.1–3)
The act of biting another’s
skull evokes primal savagery, yet Dante’s moral vision extends beyond the
literal image: it becomes a mirror of moral cannibalism, where revenge feeds
endlessly upon itself. For Vasquez (2020), “Dante's portrayal of Count Ugolino
implies deeper crimes beyond cannibalism, suggesting pedophilia and betrayal.”
Political Betrayal and the Context of Ugolino’s
Damnation
Historically,
Count Ugolino was a Pisan noble accused in 1289 of treason by Archbishop
Ruggieri, “whose alliance he had sought, had him imprisoned with his two sons
and two grandchildren in a tower, where the whole family was left to die of
starvation” (Borges Center, n.d.) Dante’s retelling transforms this political
tragedy into an allegory of corrupted reason and spiritual blindness.
Ugolino
narrates his imprisonment, starvation, and the deaths of his children with
chilling restraint:
“Then fasting
got the better of grief.” (Inferno XXXIII.75, trans. Musa, 2003)
“Poscia, più che ‘l dolor, poté ‘l digiuno.” (Inferno XXXIII.75)
This ambiguous line, whether
Ugolino succumbed to hunger or resorted to cannibalism, reveals the moral
paradox Dante constructs: Ugolino is both victim and sinner. As Hollander
(2001) argues, “Dante portrays Ugolino not simply as an object of pity, but as
one who internalizes the very cruelty he suffered” (p. 212). His eternal
punishment, gnawing the skull of his betrayer, embodies a cyclical vengeance
that perpetuates the sin of betrayal he once endured.
Ethical
Dimensions: Justice, Vengeance, and Sin
The
moral teaching in this episode lies in Dante’s confrontation between human
revenge and divine justice. While Ugolino seeks vengeance through eternal
violence, Dante’s theology insists that true justice belongs only to God.
Thomas Aquinas (Summa Theologica, II–II, Q.108) warns that “vengeance is
lawful only when directed by justice, not by passion.” Ugolino’s endless
feeding on Ruggieri’s skull is therefore not justice but the eternalization of
passion, a moral imprisonment within wrath and pride.
“If I speak
ill of him, I do not weep.” (Inferno XXXIII.8)
“S’io dico il vero, piangi tu di lui.” (Inferno XXXIII.8)
His inability to forgive, even
in death, signals the final corruption of his moral will. Singleton (1977)
notes that “Ugolino’s crime is the refusal of transcendence; he cannot cease to
be his own avenger” (p. 227). This refusal renders his suffering unredemptive,
contrasting with the penitents of Purgatorio, who transform pain into
purification.
Dante’s
Role as Witness and Moral Interpreter
Dante’s
dialogue with Ugolino blurs the line between empathy and condemnation. The poet
listens with horror yet does not intervene; his silence signifies both
compassion and moral distance. When Dante hears Ugolino’s story, he is moved to
curse Pisa itself:
“Ah, Pisa, shame of all the people of that
fair land where ‘si’ is heard,
since your neighbors are slow to punish you,
may Capraia and Gorgona move and dam the Arno at its mouth!” (Inferno XXXIII.79–83)
“Ahi Pisa,
vituperio de le genti
del bel paese là dove ‘l sì suona,
poi che i vicini a te punir son lenti,
muovasi la Capraia e la Gorgona,
e faccian siepe ad Arno in su la foce.” (Inferno XXXIII.79–83)
Here, Dante acts as a moral
intermediary, condemning not just the sinner but the entire political system
that enabled betrayal. Barolini (1992) explains that “Dante’s condemnation of
Pisa reflects his moral vision that sin is not private—it infects the body
politic” (p. 112).
Symbolism
of Cannibalism: The Devouring of Humanity
The
image of Ugolino gnawing Ruggieri’s skull is not mere grotesque invention; it
dramatizes the spiritual cannibalism of sin. As pointed out by Cotton, K.
(2015), “Historians believe that, in fact, Ugolino did try to preserve his life
by eating on his dead family there in the tower. Not once does Dante the Poet
consider that Ugolino offered his own flesh and blood to preserve these little
ones. He engages in cannibalism in life and engages in cannibalism in death. He
loved only himself in life and gets to devour his enemy in death.” The act of
devouring symbolizes a will turned inward, feeding upon hatred rather than
love. Aquinas defined sin as “a turning away from God toward mutable good” (Summa
Theologica, I–II, Q.71), and here the mutable “good” is revenge itself.
Ugolino’s
eternal consumption of Ruggieri’s skull becomes a perverse Eucharist, an
inversion of the sacrament of communion. As explained by Warlick (n.d.), “We
receive the Eucharist under the appearance of basic, elemental foods, bread and
wine. And the sacrament brings about spiritually the nourishment it symbolizes,
for in it Christ provides us richly with all that we need for healing and
nourishment in the life of grace.” Instead of receiving divine grace, Ugolino
partakes in endless hatred. Hollander (2001) describes this inversion as “a
blasphemous parody of sacred eating, where the soul consumes not God, but its
own damnation” (p. 215).
The
Ethics of Pity and the Reader’s Moral Response
Dante’s
ethical genius lies in his ability to implicate the reader in the moral
dilemma. Are we to pity Ugolino or condemn him? For Hollander, “Dante's risky
technique was to trust us, his readers, with the responsibility for seizing
upon the details in the narratives told by these sympathetic sinners in order
to condemn them on the evidence that issues from their own mouths.” Dante’s
narrative style, blending pathos with horror, forces the reader to experience
moral ambivalence. The Inferno thus becomes a test of ethical
discernment, not mere observation.
As
Ugolino finishes his tale, Dante says nothing. The silence following the story
mirrors the collapse of moral categories: the victim and perpetrator are fused
in shared damnation. Singleton (1977) concludes that “Dante’s silence is the
ethical recognition that vengeance without grace annihilates both self and
other” (p. 231).
Conclusion
In Inferno
Canto XXXIII, Dante encapsulates one of the most complex moral paradoxes of his
entire Commedia: the interplay between justice and revenge. The image of
Ugolino devouring Ruggieri’s skull dramatizes how hatred perpetuates itself,
even beyond death, when love and forgiveness are absent. Through this scene,
Dante teaches that ethical salvation requires transcendence of vengeance, a
surrender of one’s moral will to divine order.
Dante’s
moral universe, grounded in Thomistic and Augustinian ethics, reveals that the
punishment of the damned is not imposed from without but arises from within. As
it is explained by Thomistic Guy (2025), “Dante creates a work which has long
inspired both Catholic and non-religious images of hell and suffering, and all
centred around values and morality based long in both Thomistic, and to some
extent, Aristotelian thought.” Ugolino’s eternal feast is the embodiment of his
own moral choice: to feed on vengeance rather than grace.
📚 References
Aquinas, T. (1981). Summa theologica
(Fathers of the English Dominican Province, Trans.). Christian Classics.
(Original work published 1265–1274) https://www.documentacatholicaomnia.eu/03d/1225-1274,_Thomas_Aquinas,_Summa_Theologiae_%5B1%5D,_EN.pdf
Armenikus, V. and Statler, L. (2025, May 1). Breaking
the Ice Within ❄️: The Line Between Good and Evil Passes Through
Every Heart. Retrieved form Genius & Ink. https://armenikus.substack.com/p/breaking-the-ice-within-the-line
Barolini, T. (1992). The undivine comedy:
Detheologizing Dante. Princeton University Press.
Cotton, K. (2015, March 21). Category:
Cannibalism. (n.d.). PERPETUAL ASTONISHMENT. https://perpetualastonishment.weebly.com/inferno/category/cannibalism#:~:text=Historians%20believe%20that%2C%20in%20fact,a%20totally%20self%2Dreferent%20reality.
Dante Alighieri. (2003). The divine comedy:
Inferno (M. Musa, Trans.). Penguin Classics.
Hollander, R. (1988). The moral situation of
the reader of Inferno (2.0). Princeton Dante Project. https://dante.princeton.edu/pdp/moralsit.html#:~:text=If%20we%20are%20struck%20by,coming%20of%20Beatrice%20to%20Limbo.
Hollander, R. (2001). Dante: A life in works.
Yale University Press. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/348496243_Dante_A_Life_in_Works
Singleton, C. S. (1977). Dante studies II:
Journey to Beatrice. Harvard University Press. https://share.google/FDgCJXKjaGAJPVfmz
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version.
(2001). Crossway.
Guy, T. (2025, January 31). Ethics in the
Inferno: Aquinas, Aristotle, and Dante’s Vision of Virtue. Thomistic
Guy. https://thomisticguy.substack.com/p/ethics-in-the-inferno-aquinas-aristotle?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
Ugolino
della Gherardesca | Borges Center. (n.d.). University of
Pittsburgh https://www.borges.pitt.edu/i/ugolino-della-gherardesca#:~:text=Index:%20La%20espera%2C%20El%20Aleph,damnation%20in%20the%20same%20circle.
Vasquez, P. (2020). Dante's Cannibal Count:
Unnatural Hunger and its Reckoning. Retrieved from Academia.Com https://www.academia.edu/43990092/Dantes_Cannibal_Count_Unnatural_Hunger_and_its_Reckoning
Warlick, D. (n.d.). Holy Eucharist. St. Mary Catholic Church and School - Derby, KS. https://www.stmarysderby.com/sacraments/holy-eucharist#:~:text=We%20receive%20the%20Eucharist%20under%20the%20appearance,and%20nourishment%20in%20the%20life%20of%20grace.
Reader's Handout
Reader's Handout by Jonathan Acuña
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