You Shall Not Pass: Confining Chaos in Dante’s Inferno and Beyond

The less we believe in demons, the more space they take.

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In the Fifth Bolgia of Inferno, Dante and Virgil encounter the Malebranche, the demons. Virgil starts negotiating with them to let them pass safely. The demons promise to guide them out but look too deceptive and hostile. Dante is fearful that they might betray them on the way.

As they walk on, Dante’s worst fears come true — the devils get…