The Third Pouch Of The Malebolge In Dante's Inferno

In Dante’s Inferno, the Third Pouch of the Malebolge is reserved for simoniacs; clergymen that sold ecclesiastical preferment and/or offices to members of the Catholic Church in return for money and material goods. In the Third Pouch, these men are hung by their feet in pits of darkness while their feet are charred by the flames of fires above them. This punishment reflects Dante’s abhorrence for simoniacs, whom he considers to be unethical, avaricious, and inconsiderate of the souls that they have condemned to Hell. Dante’s description of the punishment that these fraudulent clergymen endure reinforces the moral intent of the poem – which is meant to demonstrate that each sin is punished judiciously and that each consecutive sin is punished
more severely than the last – in that the clergymen’s feet are set ablaze and hung in a pit with their feet protruding above the edges of the pit. Rather than walking on scorching sand as tiny flames slowly drift down from above or drowning in boiling tar, they receive a treatment that is more appropriate for the severity of their sin. Even within the Third Pouch, these clergymen are punished according to their involvement in simony; individuals that partook more often are punished by flames that are more intense than those of their peers. One of the clergymen, Pope Nicholas III, is seen to have the brightest flames burning upon his feet. When Dante confronts Pope Nicholas III, Nicholas confuses Dante for Pope Boniface VII, whom Dante also despises. Dante corrects him and goes on to tell Nicholas that he has not pity for him or any other simoniacs as they praise a false idol: money. Before Dante leaves for the Fourth Pouch, he calls Nicholas and all of his fellow clergymen that are guilty of simony a plague upon the world.