Commentary Inf V 8

See Beno.1983.1: Dante presents Minos as a parody of a confessor meting out penance to a sinner. The word confessa marks the beginning of this canto's concern with confession, which will be parodied again when Dante 'confesses' Francesca ([Inf V 118-120]). For now we are perhaps meant to ruminate on the perversity of sinners. In the world above they were offered, through this office of the Church, the possibility of confession and remission of sins. We may infer that those sinners whom we find in Hell probably did not avail themselves of their great opportunity. (We never hear the word 'confession' on the lips of any of them except for Guido da Montefeltro [[Inf XXVII 83]]. And he, having confessed and become a friar, then sins again and is condemned. His second [and vain] confession is made, too late, to Dante.) This moment offers a brief but cogent vision of human perversity: in their lives all those whom we see in hell had the opportunity to be rid of their sins by owning up to them in confession. They apparently did not do so. Here, in hell, what is the very first thing that they do? They make full disclosure of their sins... to Minos. Dante has apparently conflated the general function of Minos as judge of the dead in general ({Virg.Aen.VI.432}) and the role of Rhadamanthus as judge of the "damned" in particular ({Virg.Aen.VI.566-569}). For the most recent discussion see Baldelli (Bald.1999.2), pp. 5-6.