Paolo and Francesca The story of Paolo and Francesca, two spirits that Dante meets in his travels through Hell, is an interesting one for many reasons. Dante and Virgil are in the second circle of Hell, which is where the punishments of Hell begin. It seems to be the circle devoted to the sin of lust, as everyone in it is being punished for some crime of love and passion. Virgil points out several notable figures, including Cleopatra, Helen of Troy and her lover, Paris, and Achilles. After Virgil has named the spirit, Dante points out two in particular, a couple that travels together, and says he wants to talk to them. They are the ghosts of Francesca da Rimini and the younger brother of her husband. She had had an affair with her husband's brother, and her husband killed them viciously. It is here that we see the order in the gravity of the various cardinal sins. Francesca and Paolo, who committed the sin of lust, are in the second circle. Those who commit the sin of lust are c...
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