The Divine Comedy MCQs
1. How many major sections, or canticles, make up the Divine Comedy?
A. Two
B. Four
C. Three
D. Five
2. What is the total number of cantos in the entire Divine Comedy?
A. 99
B. 100
C. 101
D. 150
3. How many cantos are in the Inferno?
A. 33
B. 100
C. 34
D. 30
4. How many cantos are in Purgatorio and Paradiso respectively?
A. 34 each
B. 33 each
C. 30 and 33
D. 34 and 33
5. Who does the speaker in Canto 1 address as his “teacher, lord and law”?
A. Ovid
B. Homer
C. Lucan
D. Virgil
6. What “beast” does the speaker seek Virgil’s help to escape?
A. A lion
B. A she-wolf
C. An unspecified beast
D. A leopard
7. Virgil will guide the speaker through what kind of space?
A. A temporary space
B. An eternal space
C. A tranquil space
D. A confined space
8. What will the speaker initially hear and see on the journey?
A. Souls content to hope in fire
B. Shrill cries of desperation and mourning spirits
C. Blessed choirs
D. A worthier soul than Virgil
9. The speaker recalls the “sire of Silvius” travelled to immortal realms. Who is this?
A. Saint Paul
B. Virgil
C. Aeneas
D. Saint Peter
10. For whom was Rome founded as a “sacred seat”?
A. Saint Paul
B. Aeneas
C. Silvius
D. Inheritors of great Saint Peter
11. How does the speaker feel about his fitness for the journey?
A. He is undoubtedly fit.
B. He believes he is worthy.
C. No one could think he is fit for it.
D. He is as fit as Aeneas or Saint Paul.
12. Virgil says the speaker’s hesitation is caused by what?
A. Intense grief
B. Ignominious dread
C. Intellectual curiosity
D. Religious fervour
13. Who is the “blessed, so beautiful” lady Virgil heard?
A. Maria
B. Marcia
C. Beatrice
D. Minerva
14. What is Beatrice’s primary motivation?
A. Divine command
B. Love
C. Consolation
D. Justice
15. Why does Beatrice feel no dread in Hell?
A. She is protected by Virgil.
B. She was created by the grace of God.
C. She is too beautiful to be harmed.
D. She does not fear death.
16. How does the speaker’s demeanour change after hearing Beatrice’s message?
A. He withers and shrinks.
B. He remains closed and afraid.
C. His wearied powers revive and boldness rushes to his heart.
D. He wilts from sorrow.
17. What warning is written on the gate of Hell?
A. “Welcome to the eternal realms”
B. “The path to glory is within”
C. “Surrender every hope you have”
D. “All who enter here are lost”
18. What is the condition of the souls who lived without honour or ill fame?
A. The deeply sinful
B. The proud
C. The indifferent/worthless mob
D. The envious
19. What runs rapidly, whirling forwards and drawing a long trail of people?
A. A river
B. A beast
C. A banner
D. A chariot
20. Who is the old man piloting a boat, yelling “Degenerates! Your fate is sealed!”?
A. Minos
B. Geryon
C. Charon
D. Phlegyas
21. What happens to the souls hearing Charon’s command?
A. They rejoice.
B. They fall silent.
C. Their complexions change and they rage.
D. They beg for mercy.
22. Why are the souls eager to cross the river?
A. They are curious about what lies beyond.
B. They are fleeing Charon.
C. God’s justice spurs them so their fear becomes desire.
D. They believe they will find salvation.
23. What causes the sighs in Circle One (Limbo)?
A. Physical pain
B. Spiritual torment
C. Sorrowing, although no pain
D. Anger
24. Who are the spirits in Limbo, according to Virgil?
A. Those who sinned grievously.
B. Those who were rebels against God.
C. Those who never sinned but were not baptized or lived before Christ.
D. Those who hoped for salvation.
25. What is the sole punishment for the souls in Limbo?
A. Eternal damnation
B. Physical torture
C. Living in desire, but hopelessly
D. Consuming fire
26. Who did Virgil see lead biblical figures away from Limbo?
A. An archangel
B. Christ (implied)
C. Saint Peter
D. Moses
27. Who is the first among the four noble poets in Limbo, holding a sword?
A. Horace
B. Ovid
C. Lucan
D. Homer
28. Who is the figure on the “verdant lawn” called the “master of all those who think and know”?
A. Plato
B. Socrates
C. Aristotle
D. Democritus
29. Who stands at the threshold of Circle Two, judging souls with his tail?
A. Cerberus
B. Geryon
C. Minos
D. Phlegyas
30. What is the torment of the souls in Circle Two?
A. Immersed in freezing rain.
B. Buried in sepulchres.
C. Dragged onwards by the swirling wind of Hell.
D. Fighting in a marsh.
31. What sin are the souls in Circle Two condemned for?
A. Gluttony
B. Avarice
C. Carnal sin
D. Heresy
32. To which two souls does the speaker wish to talk?
A. Achilles and Paris
B. Dido and Cleopatra
C. Paolo and Francesca
D. Tristan and Isolde
33. Francesca says, “There is no sorrow greater than…” what?
A. “…to lose a loved one.”
B. “…to be forgotten by the world.”
C. “…to remember happiness in times of misery.”
D. “…to suffer without hope.”
34. What is the torment of Circle Three?
A. Swirling winds
B. Boiling blood
C. An eternal, cursed rain of snow and hail.
D. Burning sands
35. Who barks from three throats over the souls in Circle Three?
A. Minos
B. Phlegyas
C. Cerberus
D. Geryon
36. How does Virgil silence Cerberus?
A. By speaking to him
B. By threatening him with an oar
C. By throwing handfuls of dirt into his throats
D. By drawing a magical sign
37. Virgil explains that when something becomes more perfect, it feels what?
A. Less pain
B. Only good
C. Both good and pain more keenly
D. Nothing at all
38. Who is the “tremendous foe” at the entrance to Circle Four?
A. Cerberus
B. Minos
C. Plutus
D. Geryon
39. What are the two factions in Circle Four yelling at each other?
A. “To gain! To gain!”
B. “To lose! To lose!”
C. “You miser! Why?” and “Why fling it all away?”
D. “Avarice! Prodigality!”
40. Who are the people with “tonsured scalps” that the speaker asks about?
A. All common people.
B. Clerics, popes, or cardinals who were avaricious.
C. Those with strabismic minds.
D. Those who spent without check.
41. How does Virgil describe Fortune?
A. Cruel and unjust.
B. Uncaring and arbitrary.
C. A holy being who rejoices in beatitude.
D. A blind force of chance.
42. What is the name of the ferryman in Canto 8?
A. Charon
B. Minos
C. Phlegyas
D. Geryon
43. What happens to the sinner Silver Phil after the speaker wishes him harm?
A. He repents his sins.
B. He escapes from the mud.
C. He is ripped to tatters by the other souls.
D. He is granted mercy.
44. What is the name of the city they approach in the fifth circle?
A. Rome
B. Florence
C. Dis
D. Mantua
45. What do the fallen angels at the gate of Dis do?
A. They welcome the travelers.
B. They ignore them.
C. They question the speaker’s right to be there.
D. They offer guidance.
46. What three blood-stained women appear on the summit of the gate of Dis?
A. Angels
B. Harpies
C. The Furies
D. Gorgons
47. The Furies threaten to call Medusa to do what to the speaker?
A. Inflict pain.
B. Scourge him.
C. Turn him to stone.
D. Make him blind.
48. Who is the one sent from Heaven who opens the gates of Dis?
A. Michael
B. Gabriel
C. An unnamed messenger
D. Beatrice
49. Who are buried in the flaming sepulchres inside the city of Dis?
A. The proud
B. The gluttonous
C. The violent
D. The master heretics and their followers
50. Who suddenly calls out from a tomb, recognizing the speaker’s Tuscan accent?
A. Guido Cavalcanti
B. Tegghiaio Aldobrandi
C. Farinata degli Uberti
D. Brunetto Latini
51. A weeping shadow rises, asking, “my son, where is he?” Who is he asking about?
A. Farinata
B. Guido Cavalcanti
C. Aeneas
D. Saint Paul
52. What does Farinata prophesy will happen to the speaker?
A. He will achieve great honour.
B. He will escape Hell quickly.
C. He will experience exile.
D. He will understand the stars.
53. Who does the speaker learn is buried beside Farinata?
A. Guido Cavalcanti
B. The second Frederick and Cardinal Octavian
C. Saint Paul and Aeneas
D. Brunetto Latini and Mosca
54. In Canto 11, what concept incurs “the hatred of Heaven”?
A. Pride
B. Malice
C. Envy
D. Avarice
55. Virgil distinguishes between harm by “force” and “deceit.” Which does he say “displeases God the more”?
A. Force
B. Deceit
C. Intemperance
D. Brutality
56. Why are sins of “intemperance” punished less sharply?
A. Their sins are less severe.
B. They are not malicious, but a failure of self-control.
C. They are closer to repentance.
D. God is more merciful to them.
57. How does Virgil explain that usury offends God?
A. It harms neighbours directly.
B. It involves deceit.
C. Usurers make mock of Nature and her kin.
D. It is an act of brute force.
58. Who is the “infamy of Crete” that gnaws himself in rage?
A. Cerberus
B. Geryon
C. The Minotaur
D. Plutus
59. What event does Virgil recall from a previous journey to lower Hell?
A. His journey with Aeneas.
B. His journey to summon a spirit for Erichtho.
C. His defeat of the Minotaur.
D. His encounter with Medusa.
60. Who are the souls immersed in a boiling river of blood?
A. The envious
B. The gluttonous
C. The violent against neighbours (tyrants, murderers).
D. The proud
61. What is the nature of the wood in Canto 13?
A. A pleasant grove
B. A dark forest with hidden creatures
C. A thorny maze where souls are encased in trees
D. A burning thicket
62. Who is the soul in the tree who held the keys to Federigo’s heart?
A. Farinata
B. Guido Cavalcanti
C. Pier della Vigna
D. Brunetto Latini
63. What action did Pier della Vigna take due to “disdain”?
A. He betrayed his lord.
B. He fled into exile.
C. He committed suicíde.
D. He sought revenge.
64. What will happen to the bodies of the suicídes on Judgement Day?
A. They will be freed.
B. They will be loosed from the trees.
C. Their bodies will swing from the trees.
D. They will be transformed permanently.
65. What group of creatures chases two naked souls through the wood?
A. Centaurs
B. Harpies
C. Black, ravenous bitches
D. Gorgons
66. What is the torment in Canto 14?
A. Extreme cold
B. Swirling wind
C. Burning sand and flakes of fire
D. Immersed in boiling pitch
67. The rivers Acheron, Styx, and Phlegethon all originate from what source?
A. Underground springs
B. The sea
C. A great, shattered statue (Old Man of Crete)
D. A magical well
68. Whom does the speaker recognise on the burning sand, despite his “singed features”?
A. Farinata
B. Pier della Vigna
C. Brunetto Latini
D. Guido Cavalcanti
69. What sin are Brunetto and his companions punished for?
A. Avarice
B. Gluttony
C. Sodomy
D. Heresy
70. What does Brunetto Latini refer to when he says, “My Treasury… In that, I still live on”?
A. His hidden wealth.
B. His family line.
C. His literary works.
D. His spiritual legacy.
71. What does the speaker wear around his waist that Virgil asks him to remove?
A. A rope
B. A belt of rushes
C. A braided cord
D. A sword belt
72. What is located in the center of the “Rottenpockets”?
A. A burning mountain
B. A frozen lake
C. A great, empty well
D. A forest of thorny trees
73. The sinners in the first pocket are compared to what Roman event?
A. The Colosseum games.
B. Pilgrims crossing a bridge during a Jubilee.
C. A military procession.
D. A Roman feast.
74. Who is the “hero” in the second ditch, punished for seduction and deceit?
A. Hercules
B. Achilles
C. Jason
D. Ulysses
75. In Canto 19, the speaker curses “Magic Simon.” What sin are these souls punished for?
A. Selling indulgences.
B. Turning God’s things into whores for gold and silver.
C. Practicing witchcraft.
D. Spreading false doctrines.
76. Who does the speaker initially mistake the suffering Pope for?
A. Pope Nicholas III
B. Pope Clement V
C. Pope Urban VI
D. Pope Boniface VIII
77. Pope Nicholas III prophesies the arrival of which “lawless shepherd”?
A. Boniface VIII
B. Clement V
C. Philip IV
D. Urban VI
78. What “harm” does the speaker accuse Emperor Constantine of causing?
A. His persecution of Christians.
B. His pagan beliefs.
C. The “dowry” of temporal power he gave to the first rich Pope.
D. His failure to unify the Empire.
79. What is the torment of the souls in Canto 20?
A. They cannot speak.
B. They are constantly turning.
C. Their heads are twisted backwards.
D. They are buried upside down.
80. What is Virgil’s stern admonition when the speaker weeps at the twisted souls?
A. “Here pity lives where pity’s truth is dead.”
B. “Do not show weakness.”
C. “This is a sign of divine justice.”
D. “Control your emotions.”
81. What industrial scene is used to describe the boiling pitch in Rottenpockets?
A. A forge
B. A marketplace
C. A battleground
D. The Venetian Arsenal in winter
82. What kind of souls are tormented in the boiling pitch?
A. Heretics
B. Violent
C. Grafters/Corrupt officials
D. Fraudulent counsellors
83. What does the demon leader, Malacoda, say about “Bridge Six”?
A. It is guarded by an angel.
B. It is too narrow to pass.
C. It is broken down and lies in ruins.
D. It is a trap.
84. What happens when the Navarrese sinner escapes from the demons?
A. The demons capture him again immediately.
B. The demons laugh at his cleverness.
C. The demons are pierced by guilt and the one most at fault fails to catch him.
D. The demons blame Virgil.
85. To which of Aesop’s fables does the speaker’s mind turn?
A. The Fox and the Grapes.
B. The Lion and the Mouse.
C. The frog and rat and hawk.
D. The Boy Who Cried Wolf.
86. What is the punishment of the souls in the sixth ditch?
A. Avarice
B. Pride
C. Hypocrisy
D. Gluttony
87. Who is the figure staked to the earth with three staves?
A. Annas
B. Judas Iscariot
C. Caiaphas
D. Pilate
88. In Canto 25, the robber raises his hands in a “fig-fuck.” What does this gesture express?
A. A sign of friendship.
B. A plea for mercy.
C. Defiance and contempt towards God.
D. A magical invocation.
89. What is the torment of the souls in Canto 26?
A. Burning in sepulchres.
B. Freezing in ice.
C. Encased in flames shaped like tongues.
D. Drowning in boiling pitch.
90. Who are the two souls within the “cloven-crested flame”?
A. Achilles and Odysseus
B. Jason and Medea
C. Ulysses and Diomedes
D. Ajax and Hector
91. What was Ulysses’s final journey?
A. He returned home to Ithaca.
B. He was shipwrecked in a storm near Spain.
C. He sailed into the uninhabited world seeking virtue and knowledge, and was lost.
D. He conquered a new land.
92. Who is the “great warlord” who became a friar but was led back to sin by Pope Boniface VIII?
A. Guido Bonatti
B. Michael Scot
C. Guido da Montefeltro
D. Fra Dolcino
93. What did Pope Boniface VIII promise Guido da Montefeltro?
A. Forgiveness for all his past sins.
B. Political power.
C. Total absolution for the sin he was about to commit.
D. A place in Heaven.
94. What is the punishment for the Sowers of Discord in Canto 28?
A. Heresy
B. Fraud
C. They are physically splintered and divided.
D. Treachery
95. Who is the soul with both hands cut off who sowed “evil seed for every Tuscan”?
A. Curio
B. Da Medicina
C. Mosca de’ Lamberti
D. Bertran de Born
96. Who is the headless soul who set a father and son at odds?
A. Mosca
B. Curio
C. Bertran de Born
D. Da Medicina
97. What does the centaur Nessus point out as the one whose heart “drips blood still on the Thames”?
A. Attila
B. Guy de Montfort
C. Pyrrhus
D. Sextus
98. What is the nature of the wood in Canto 13, where souls are encased in trees?
A. A pleasant grove
B. A dark forest with hidden creatures
C. A thorny maze
D. A burning thicket
99. Who is the soul in the tree who held the keys to Federigo’s heart?
A. Farinata
B. Guido Cavalcanti
C. Pier della Vigna
D. Brunetto Latini
100. What action did Pier della Vigna take due to “disdain”?
A. He betrayed his lord.
B. He fled into exile.
C. He committed suicíde.
D. He sought revenge.