Dante's Inferno

Canto 29.5

As my master and I entered

The very last part of this level

In hell, I began to lament

For the treacherous seemingly devil

Like souls that tried to repent 

For their deceit in this dishevel. 

It was evident that they were in discontent,

Judging by their horrid faces of displeasure.

Although it was not their original intent

To be placed here after death.

These manipulative, devious liars’

Actions brought them here.

They lied their way into getting

Ahead in life.  They lied to control

And get their own way.  Truth was

Not a value that they regarded highly.

Never did one admit they lied.

I saw these people covering their

Ears, screaming in agony.  I asked my Master

What was happening to them. “Cursed by their

Pathological lies, these people constantly hear

Their lies told to people on a continuous loop.  

It is so unbearable to listen to day after day.

They hurt others with their lies, and now

It’s their turn to be hurt.”  I shuddered at the

Thought.  As we walked further, the fraudulent

People were running up stairs and opening doors,

Only to lead to more doors.

Those doors led to more stairs

And more doors and repeated again

And again and again.

My master saw my puzzled expression

And Answered, “These liars lied to get their

Own way, no matter who they

Hurt or who they lied to. They think

They can run away from their sins.

They can’t be victorious over their sins.

These stairs and doors lead to nothing.

In fact, they aren’t even moving up at all.”

I felt a combination of emotions,

From anger to pity to disgust.  I begged

 my Master for us to move on from here.

Explanation

My sin is pathologically lying.  Pathological liars lie to control and to get their own way.  They lie to others to get ahead in life.  They lie about almost anything, and most of all, they do not value truth.  The punishment is hearing their lies they’ve told over and over again and “climbing” staircases leading to doors that just lead to more stairs and doors.  I believe this fits because the liars will be unable to defeat or run away from sin.  Plus, hearing their lies will make them feel guilty for their actions in their lifetime. 

This sin is in the eighth circle of hell, the frauds.  It is in the bolgia with the falsifiers.  It is a coldest blooded sin in lower hell because it leads people astray.  The creature that best represents this level of hell is the she wolf because she was the most vicious and brutal of them all.