Characters
Characters of the Divine Comedy
Explore the protagonists and figures Dante meets on his journey.
| Personaggio | Tipologia | Menzioni | Versi collegati | Descrizione |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Geri del Bello | Historical | 1 | 1 | Cousin of Dante's father, an exiled Guelph, mentioned by Dante among the sowers of discord in the bolgia of the evil counselors. He was killed by a member of the Sacchetti before 1300. |
| Geryon | Mythological | 3 | 4 | Winged monster who in Inferno XVII transports Dante and Virgil to the bottom of the circle, serving as the material guide of the descent toward Malebolge. |
| Gherardo da Camino | Rulers and nobles | 1 | 1 | Lord of Treviso, named by Marco among the examples of that now-extinct generation of noble and courteous lords, set in contrast to the present savage age. |
| Ghin di Tacco | Historical | 1 | 1 | Sienese gentleman, banished from Siena, who became a highway robber at the castle of Radicofani in the Maremma; remembered for his pride and his robberies, he probably died in 1303. Dante cites him in Purgatorio. |
| Ghisolabella | Families and factions | 1 | 1 | Ghisola bella, sister of Venedico dei Caccianemici, cited by Venedico himself among the panderers of the eighth circle. Remembered as a victim of her brother's mediation. |
| Gianni Schicchi | Historical | 1 | 1 | Soul cited in the thirtieth canto of the Inferno as the 'sprite' that bites Capocchio and drags him along the ditch of the falsifiers of Malebolge. |
| Janus | Deity | 1 | 1 | Roman deity whose temple (delubrum), whose doors were normally open in time of war, was closed during the long peace of Augustus's reign, a pivotal event in Dante's historical vision. |
| Jason | Mythological | 2 | 2 | Jason, the Greek hero and leader of the Argonauts, is remembered by Dante for the quest of the Golden Fleece and condemned for the deceit he wrought against Medea. |
| Giants | Mythological | 1 | 1 | The Giants, creatures of immense scale from mythological and biblical antiquity, appear as scattered limbs in a vision of Purgatory, an image of conquered power. |
| Ginevra | Rulers and nobles | 1 | 1 | Queen cited by Beatrice in Par. XVI, 15 as an example drawn from the Lancelot romance: at the "first fault" the lady of Malehaut coughed to warn the hero of her presence. |
| Gioacchino da Fiore | Popes and clergy | 1 | 1 | The Calabrian abbot Giovacchino is remembered by Dante in Paradise, in the heaven of the wise, and his mention closes the second crown of wise spirits, sealing the chiastic structure of Canto XII. |
| Jocasta | Mythological | 1 | 1 | Jocasta is mentioned by Statius in Dante's Purgatorio as an example linked to a 'double sorrow.' The name recurs in an exemplary list spoken by the Theban poet. |
| Joshua | Biblical figures | 2 | 2 | Biblical figure of the Old Testament, recalled by Dante for the conquest of the Holy Land; his name is mentioned in Paradiso IX and in Paradiso XVIII. |
| Giotto | Unclassified | 1 | 1 | Giotto di Bondone, a Florentine painter born in 1267 and died in 1337, recalled by Dante in Purgatorio as the new dominant figure in painting in place of Cimabue. |
| Giovanna | Historical | 1 | 3 | Mother of Saint Francis, remembered as a true mother by Cacciaguida in the Heaven of the Sun. |
| John the Baptist | Biblical figures | 1 | 1 | The forerunner, recalled by Dante as glorious and great, despite the humble food of locusts and honey in the desert, in contrast with the acorns and water of the age of gold. |
| Jupiter | Deity | 5 | 9 | God of paganism evoked by Dante as a mythological figure: thunderbolter of Capaneus, maker of thunder, dispenser of justice, and moderator of celestial influences. |
| Juvenal | Poets and thinkers | 1 | 1 | Latin satirical poet (Decimus Junius Juvenalis), born around 47 and died in 130 A.D., remembered by Dante as one of the great poets of Limbo alongside Statius. |
| Juba | Rulers and nobles | 1 | 1 | King of the Mauri cited by Justinian in the summary of the civil wars between Caesar and Pompey. Defeated by Caesar in the African campaign. |
| Judas Iscariot | Biblical figures | 2 | 5 | The apostle who betrayed Christ, placed by Dante in the central mouth of Lucifer, where he suffers punishment as the worst traitor among all the damned in Hell. |
| Jews | Families and factions | 2 | 4 | People mentioned in two passages of the Paradiso: in Par. VII, where their request for the death of Christ is recalled in the theological narrative of redemption, and in Par. XXIX, as the recipients of the solar eclipse during the crucifixion. |
| Judith | Biblical figures | 1 | 1 | Female figure mentioned by Saint Bernard in the list of women who make up the mystical rose of Paradise, alongside Eve, Mary, Sarah, Rebecca, and Ruth. |
| Julia | Historical | 1 | 1 | Iulia is numbered by Dante among the virtuous women of republican history, placed in the noble castle of Limbo alongside Lucretia, Marcia, and Cornelia. |
| Juno | Deity | 1 | 2 | Juno is the Roman goddess recalled in Par. XII as the mistress whom her handmaid Iris obeys; in Inf. XXX she is presented as enraged against Thebes out of jealousy for Semele, beloved of Jupiter. |