The Encounter with Farinata and Cavalcante

Dante and Virgil walk between the flaming tombs of the heretics. From one tomb, the voice of Farinata degli Uberti rises, standing erect with breast and front as if he held Hell in great despite. He asks Dante about his ancestors, and Dante reveals his Guelph lineage. Farinata boasts that he twice scattered the Guelphs. Dante retorts that the Guelphs returned both times, while the Ghibellines have not learned that art. Another shade, Cavalcante de' Cavalcanti, rises on his knees, anxiously asking about his son Guido. Dante's ambiguous answer—'he had'—leads Cavalcante to believe his son is dead, and he falls back in despair. Farinata continues, prophesying Dante's exile. He explains that the damned can see distant future events but not the present. Dante asks him to tell Cavalcante that his son is still alive. This episode contrasts the political pride of Farinata with the personal grief of Cavalcante, and introduces the theme of Dante's future exile.