Cagnazzo

Cagnazzo is a member of the Malebranche, the ten demons tasked with guarding the Fifth Bolgia of the Eighth Circle of Hell, where the sin of barratry (political corruption) is punished by immersion in boiling pitch. He is one of the devils named by Malacoda, the leader of the Malebranche, to escort Dante and Virgil along the bank of the pitch-filled moat. Malacoda calls out his name among the ten: "Step forward, Alichino and Calcabrina," he began to cry out, "and thou, Cagnazzo; And Barbariccia, do thou guide the ten." This places Cagnazzo within the hierarchy of the Malebranche, a group of devils who are both terrifying and grotesquely comic in their violent antics.

Role in the Encounter with Ciampolo

Cagnazzo's most notable action occurs during the interrogation of the barrator Ciampolo of Navarre. When Ciampolo, hoping to escape, offers to whistle for more sinners to emerge from the pitch, Cagnazzo is immediately suspicious. He lifts his muzzle, shaking his head, and says: "Just hear the trick which he has thought of, down to throw himself!" This remark reveals Cagnazzo's cautious and cynical nature; he is not easily fooled by the sinner's promises and anticipates a ruse. His suspicion proves well-founded, as Ciampolo does indeed dive back into the pitch to escape the demons' clutches. Cagnazzo's wariness contrasts with the more impulsive and gullible reactions of some of his fellow Malebranche.

The Escape and Its Aftermath

After Ciampolo escapes, the Malebranche are thrown into disarray. Alichino, who had boasted he would catch the sinner, dives after him but only succeeds in getting himself and Calcabrina stuck in the pitch. In the ensuing chaos, Cagnazzo is not directly involved in the fight between the two demons, but he is part of the group that must be rescued. Barbariccia, the leader, makes four of the demons fly to the other side with their gaffs to pull the pitch-ensnared Alichino and Calcabrina out. Cagnazzo is among those who, along with the rest of the Malebranche, are left behind as Virgil and Dante escape to the next Bolgia. His role, though brief, underscores the themes of deception and failed justice that pervade the Malebranche's episode, where the demons' own malice and foolishness often undermine their authority.

Thematic Significance

Cagnazzo embodies the suspicious and treacherous nature of the Malebranche, who are themselves a form of divine punishment. His name, which suggests "ugly dog" or "nasty one" in Italian, fits the bestial and cruel character of these devils. His suspicion of Ciampolo's trick highlights the pervasive atmosphere of deceit in Hell, where even the punishers are not immune to being outwitted by the damned. Cagnazzo's presence in the Fifth Bolgia serves as a reminder that the infernal bureaucracy is as chaotic and corrupt as the sins it punishes, a theme that Dante explores with dark humor and moral seriousness.