# Canto XX: The Fourth Bolgia – The Soothsayers explained — The Divine Comedy

> Chapter companion for The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri.

## What happens

Dante and Virgil descend into the Fourth Bolgia of the Eighth Circle, where they encounter the souls of soothsayers, diviners, and magicians. These sinners are grotesquely twisted backwards, their heads turned to face their backs, symbolizing their attempt to see the future and their punishment of being unable to see forward. Virgil points out notable figures including Amphiaraüs, Tiresias, Aruns, Manto, Eryphylus, Michael Scott, Guido Bonatti, and Asdente. Virgil recounts the story of Manto and the founding of Mantua, correcting false legends. Dante weeps at the sight, but Virgil rebukes him, reminding him that pity is dead here before divine justice.

## Themes in this chapter

### Divine Justice

The contrapasso of the soothsayers—their heads twisted backwards—symbolizes divine justice: those who tried to see the future are now forced to look only behind them, unable to see forward.

### Suffering and Compassion

Dante's initial weeping for the damned is rebuked by Virgil, who teaches that pity for the divinely punished is misplaced, as their suffering is just.

## Character check-ins

### Dante Alighieri

Dante weeps at the distorted sight of the soothsayers, but is rebuked by Virgil for showing compassion toward the damned.

### Virgil

Virgil guides Dante through the Fourth Bolgia, identifies the sinners, and recounts the true story of Mantua's founding by Manto.

### Manto

Manto, the daughter of Tiresias, is a soothsayer who wandered the world and eventually settled in the marshy area where Mantua was later built.

### Tiresias

Tiresias, the Theban prophet, is seen among the soothsayers, punished for his transformations and foresight.

### Amphiaraüs

Amphiaraüs, a seer from the war of the Seven against Thebes, is shown falling into the earth as the ground opened beneath him.

## Key lines

> Here pity lives when it is wholly dead; Who is a greater reprobate than he Who feels compassion at the doom divine?

True pity is dead here; no one is more wicked than those who feel compassion for God's just punishment.

_Virgil rebukes Dante for weeping, emphasizing that divine justice must not be questioned by human emotion._

> Because he wished to see too far before him Behind he looks, and backward goes his way

Because he tried to see too far into the future, he is now forced to look backward and walk in reverse.

_This describes the contrapasso of the soothsayers, particularly Amphiaraüs, whose punishment fits his sin of foresight._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_divine_comedy_se/chapters/canto-xx
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_divine_comedy_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_divine_comedy_se/chapters