Dante, Inferno
The Tower of Famine
Ugolino describes the small opening of the prison and says the place bears the name of famine because of his fate. Its limited view marks time through the passing moons. After the disturbing dream, he hears the tower locked when food should arrive. The children look toward their father, and the speech narrows to silence, hunger and deaths within the chamber.
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In the sources
The encounter
LiteraryUgolino describes the small opening of the prison and says the place bears the name of famine because of his fate. Its limited view marks time through the passing moons.
Further detail
LiteraryAfter the disturbing dream, he hears the tower locked when food should arrive. The children look toward their father, and the speech narrows to silence, hunger and deaths within the chamber.
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 Of famine bears, where others yet must pine, 154Open this page in the book
Passage & edition details
Location recorded at citation review: Dante’s Inferno, Cary translation; active reader leaf 223
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-P0223
- Original scan leaf
- 230
- Recorded leaf number
- 230
- Current Reader position
- 223
- Reader verification
- Source-preserving update confirmed
Source 2
Dante's Inferno
The horrible tower: whence, uttering not a woru, I look'd upon the visage of my sons. I wept not : so all stone I felt within,Open this page in the book
Passage & edition details
Location recorded at citation review: Dante’s Inferno, Cary translation; active reader leaf 226
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-P0226
- Original scan leaf
- 233
- Recorded leaf number
- 233
- Current Reader position
- 226
- Reader verification
- Source-preserving update confirmed
Illustrations
Continue exploring
Ptolomea and Premature Descent
The frozen round where Alberigo claims a soul can arrive before its body dies.
Shared source pageRuggieri in Ugolino’s Accusation
The archbishop named by Ugolino and represented as the pursuer in his prison dream.
Shared source pageUgolino’s Account of Hunger
The speaker who pauses his revenge to recount the confinement and deaths of his children.
Same subject and traditionAgnello’s Merged Form
A man and serpent lose their distinct outlines in the thieves’ ditch.