The Case Against Francesca: INFERNO, Canto V, Lines 88 - 142

Dante, our pilgrim, calls the two who are light on the winds of lust to float down to him. When they arrive, he gets more than he bargained for. Francesca (with her Paolo) proves the greatest danger yet to the pilgrim.

Francesca's self-narrated "novelle" of her damnation is a master class in manipulation. Or at least so I'll see it in this episode of WALKING WITH DANTE, in which I present the case against her.

Join me, Mark Scarbrough, as we explore the story of this most provocative figure: a seducer, flatterer, and an oily talker. Francesca escapes the pilgrim's grasp and pulls him to see the world her way--that is, a damned way.

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Here are the segments of this episode of WALKING WITH DANTE:

[02:19] My English translation of INFERNO, Canto V, lines 88 - 142. If you'd like to read along, find a study guide for a more intense interpretation of this passage, or leave a comment for me so we can continue talking about this episode, please find its entry on my website, markscarbrough.com.

[06:55] Historical facts about the speaker, Francesca da Rimini, including Boccaccio's (unreliable?) story about her.

[09:46] Two strange words in Francesca's speech: "Caïna" and "galeotto."

[12:32] The case against Francesca: five points that justify her damnation.

[20:42] A little bit about courtly love.

[23:26] More in the case against Francesca: her literary downfall.

[30:43] And finally, a little about the two men on the scene: her lover Paolo and our pilgrim, as well as their analogous and telling reactions to her speech.

Mentioned in this episode:

A brief introduction to the walk ahead