Dante, Inferno
Bocca’s Refusal to Give His Name
Dante takes hold of the inhabitant’s hair and demands his name, but the speaker refuses even when hair is torn away. The narrator’s action moves beyond listening into force. Another inhabitant calls out Bocca’s name. The exposed speaker then retaliates by naming others and their alleged offences, turning the encounter into an exchange of accusations.
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In the sources
The encounter
LiteraryDante takes hold of the inhabitant’s hair and demands his name, but the speaker refuses even when hair is torn away. The narrator’s action moves beyond listening into force.
Further detail
LiteraryAnother inhabitant calls out Bocca’s name. The exposed speaker then retaliates by naming others and their alleged offences, turning the encounter into an exchange of accusations.
Context & interpretation
This entry follows the supplied Thompson & Thomas edition of H. F. Cary’s translation. It describes Dante’s literary vision, distinguishing its assignments and reported claims from historical biography, other classical traditions and independently established accounts of an afterlife.
Original passages
Source 1
Dante's Inferno
Name thee, or not a hair shall tarry here." " Rend all away," he answer'd, " yet for that I will not tell, nor show thee,Open this page in the book
Passage & edition details
Location recorded at citation review: Dante’s Inferno, Cary translation; active reader leaf 219
Passage read in the exact edition’s extracted canto text; whitespace-normalised anchor and original-leaf mapping checked. Associated plates separately inspected.
- Edition
- IMJ-0082-E001
- Reader page
- IMJ-0082-E001-P0219
- Original scan leaf
- 226
- Recorded leaf number
- 226
- Current Reader position
- 219
- Reader verification
- Source-preserving update confirmed
Source 2
Dante's Inferno
What ails thee, Bocca? Sound not loud enough Thy chattering teeth, but thou must bark oughtright? What devil wrings thee ?" " Now," said I, "Open this page in the book
Passage & edition details
Location recorded at citation review: Dante’s Inferno, Cary translation; active reader leaf 219
Passage read in the exact edition’s extracted canto text; whitespace-normalised anchor and original-leaf mapping checked. Associated plates separately inspected.
- Edition
- IMJ-0082-E001
- Reader page
- IMJ-0082-E001-P0219
- Original scan leaf
- 226
- Recorded leaf number
- 226
- Current Reader position
- 219
- Reader verification
- Source-preserving update confirmed
Illustrations
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Literary & Visionary Figures ↗
Antenora, the Second Frozen Round
The part of the ice where the encounter with Bocca leads to accusations of betrayal.
Same subject and traditionAlberigo and the Frozen Tears
The speaker who requests relief from the ice over his eyes but does not receive it.
Same subject and traditionAlessio of Lucca among the Flatterers
The recognised speaker who attributes his place in the second ditch to excessive flattery.
Same subject and traditionBertran de Born’s Speaking Head
The head-bearing speaker who explains his division through a division he claims to have caused.