Dante, Inferno
Farinata in the Open Tomb
Farinata rises from the waist above his grave and asks Dante about his ancestors. Their exchange returns to political opposition and exile, while his bearing appears to scorn even the surrounding Hell. He predicts Dante’s difficulty returning home and recalls having opposed the destruction of Florence when others supported it. These are claims made within the poem’s dramatic conversation.
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In the sources
The encounter
LiteraryFarinata rises from the waist above his grave and asks Dante about his ancestors. Their exchange returns to political opposition and exile, while his bearing appears to scorn even the surrounding Hell.
Further detail
LiteraryHe predicts Dante’s difficulty returning home and recalls having opposed the destruction of Florence when others supported it. These are claims made within the poem’s dramatic conversation.
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
Lo ! Farinata there, who hath himself Uplifted : from his girdle upwards, all Exposed, behold him." On his face was mine Already fix'd: his breastOpen this page in the book
Passage & edition details
Location recorded at citation review: Dante’s Inferno, Cary translation; active reader leaf 78
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-P0078
- Original scan leaf
- 85
- Recorded leaf number
- 85
- Current Reader position
- 78
- Reader verification
- Source-preserving update confirmed
Source 2
Dante's Inferno
openly forbade the deed." " So may thy lineage find at last repose," I thus adjured him, " as thou solve this knot, Which now involvesOpen this page in the book
Passage & edition details
Location recorded at citation review: Dante’s Inferno, Cary translation; active reader leaf 79
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-P0079
- Original scan leaf
- 86
- Recorded leaf number
- 86
- Current Reader position
- 79
- Reader verification
- Source-preserving update confirmed
Illustrations
Continue exploring
Literary & Visionary Figures ↗
Cavalcante’s Question about His Son
The grieving father who mistakes Dante’s tense and hesitation for news of death.
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.