Dante's Inferno Canti 14- 20

3) Canto 17 & Geryon:
The severity of what Geryon comes to represent is established in the first line: “And now, behold the beast with pointed tail that passes mountains, annulling walls and weapons, behold the one that makes the whole world stink!”
Geryon makes the whole world stink, Geryon is the representation of Fraud in the 7th and 8th circles of Hell. Geryon’s face was that of an honest man, but his tail was that of a scorpion. Geryon also had one head, two arms, but three bodies. Geryon proves to be another of Dante’s monsters who is a perversion of the holy trinity. His body and back were painted with the most appealing and desired arabesques – finer than the fabrics of the Turks & Tartars and Arachne. The Turks & Tartars were the best weavers of the middle Ages who made highly colored and ornate fabrics that were highly esteemed at the time. Arachne was the best weaver who challenged the goddess Minerva to a contest, Minerva was infuriated by Arachne’s perfect weaving and tore it to shreds. Arachne hung herself but Minerva loosened the rope and turned it into a web, and Arachne into a spider. Geryon is also described as a “beaver,” as beavers sit along the river with their tails in the water as they try to catch fish; just as Geryon sits with his tail in the water waiting for people to trap with fraud and deception. Geryon sits partly in Circle 7 and partly in Circle 8 of Hell – thus, linking the sinners of violence and fraud.
Geryon is described as the most terrible beast because Dante believes fraud to be the worst kind of sin. Dante was falsely accused of selling the privileges of his office and was consequently exiled from his native Florence. But the fraudulent crime committed against him was not Dante’s sole reason for so fervently condemning this sin because “fraud frustrates the virtuous use of intellect.” (www.bookwire.com/dante) According to my research, Dante felt that people who have an influence over society (as he did since he was a Chronicler, intellect & political activist at the times) also have a responsibility to society to speak the truth. The falsehoods of corrupt politicians and money-hungry industries are responsible for the destruction of society.
“If one doesn't know or care what the truth is it becomes impossible to love the right things or to act as a responsible person or citizen, and society deteriorates. Ordered and just, personal and political life is thus wrecked by the false or irresponsible or self-serving portrayal of reality. For the ability to know and consequently to choose rightly is, according to Dante, the prerequisite for all authentic and productive human and political behavior.” (www.bookwire.com/dante)
I also thought it was interesting to note that Virgil, the “guide, master, teacher, voice of reason” deceives Fraud itself by asking it to carry Virgil & Dante to the next circle of Hell. At the end of the canto, Geryon is described as having “show off like a shaft show from a bowstring,”(line 136). This line was also used to describe Phlegyas as he angrily approached Virgil and Dante. Geryon is angry at the end of the canto because he realizes he was deceived himself. This is evident since his descent is described as a “falcon on the wing for many hours, having found no prey,” (lines 127-128). Also, “so Geryon brought us down to the bottom at the foot of the jagged cliff, almost back against it,” (lines 133-134). This hints at Geryon’s anger and frustration, like a falcon without prey, as he nearly slams Virgil and Dante into the jagged cliff before flying off.