Cantos XII-XX

His head and chest from the deep to rest on land
Before us, not drawing his tail up onto the bank.
His face was a just man's face, outwardly kind,

And he was like a serpent all down his trunk.
He had two paws, both hairy to the armpits;
His back and breast and both sides down to the shank. (pg 171, lines 7-12)


I picked these two passages mostly because I like the description of this guy. The one thing that im really enjoying about Dante is the detail that is put into each Canto. It really helps, because the on thing that is awful when reading for school is not enjoying the book that you are reading. What i gather from this passage so far is that this obviously some kind of creature that is coming out of the gloom after Virgil threw the coil of rope into the river. What I'm not qute understanding as of yet, is what exact purpose it serves. I mean i kinda get that it like blocked Virgil and Dante's path. but Not sure what else its supposed to be doing. I looked up Arachne and she was a weaver who screwed with the gods and got turned into a spider. So, that really does not help me to much. And the rest of the page just goes on into Dante learning about the next circle. So, I guess i just picked an insignificant passage or something. I will now reflect on how The Inferno and the fact that they are making a video game out of it and how completely ridiculous that will be. The fact that they are making a video game out of a poem. Given that its a really long poem, that has a pretty cool plot line. but i watched the trailer and you like this warrior dude who fights off demons with a giant scythe that has a skull on the end. That is very silly to me, not sure what geniuses at E.A came up with this brilliant idea. Besides who on earth is the market for a game based on this??????? Seriously. Okay, back to school work. The main thing Ive got to say about the Inferno at this point is its really detailed, Ive been trying to understan how it realtes to the political climate; I get how he has inserted people from the church and fromw those two factions with the G names, what i dont understand at the present is what is he saying as a big picture kinda thing? I guess that might come with the end of the book and finishing it, but I guess like, I understand the Cantos individually but i am a little fuzzy on how to relate them all to each other. Thats my trouble at the moment, I guess i should start taking better notes while im reading. That would probably help with that. Not too sure what else to write about, The video game did not have Virgil in it now that i think about it. That is stupid, he's like almost a main character. Thats a serious screw up, he should at least be like a part of it somehow.