Mythological
Rubicante
Devil of the squad escorting Dante and Virgil through the bolgia of the barrators; he is addressed by Malacoda, who orders him to attack a damned soul with his hook.
Profile
Rubicante is one of the devils of the squad entrusted with escorting the two wayfarers through the bolgia of the barrators. His name appears in the roll call Malacoda addresses to his men, alongside those of Alichino, Calcabrina, and the other devils with strikingly coined names. The note to Canto XXI recalls that the ten names, rather than being analyzed in their individual parts, should be taken as a whole, fusing visual element (Scarmiglione, Graffiacane) and phonic element to create an effect of insolence and aggressive farcicality: these are the devils of the bolgia whom Dante wanted to be "comic." In Canto XXII Rubicante is directly addressed by Malacoda, who orders him to use his hook to strike a damned soul in the pitch. He is the only demon of the group whose direct speech is reported at this point, in the form of the command.
In the text
Linked verses
2 verses| Cantica | Canto | Verso | Testo | Open verse |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inferno | Canto XXI | 123 | e Farfarello e Rubicante pazzo. | Open verse |
| Inferno | Canto XXII | 40 | «O Rubicante, fa che tu li metti | Open verse |