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The Divine Comedy · Character

Ulysses

Greek hero who recounts his final voyage in the eighth circle.

minor

First appearance: Canto XXVI: The Eighth Bolgia – Ulysses and Diomed

Ulysses shows up with force in Canto XXVI: The Eighth Bolgia – Ulysses and Diomed. The page is where that presence becomes real.

The Greek hero punished as an evil counsellor; he narrates his final, ill-fated voyage beyond the known world.
In the storyCanto XXVI: The Eighth Bolgia – Ulysses and DiomedOpen this moment free

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In Canto XXVI: The Eighth Bolgia – Ulysses and Diomed: The Greek hero punished as an evil counsellor; he narrates his final, ill-fated voyage beyond the known world. Later, in Canto XXVII: St. Peter's Reproof and the…

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See Ulysses in Canto XXVI: The Eighth Bolgia – Ulysses and Diomed

Character Web

6 connections

A slice of how Ulysses sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.

VIVirgilDADante AlighieriRGRobert GuiscardGGGuido Guinizze…COCato of UticaULUlysses

Relationship types

  • Other

Character groups

  • Sinners and Historical Figures
  • Heavenly Guides and Saints
  • Protagonist

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.

SetupAftermathClimax
  • Setup
  • Escalation
  • Breaking point
  • Aftermath
  • Closing

In this canto, the dramatic climax occurs when Dante, having been emboldened to ask Virgil to teach him the na…

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In the story

Ulysses appears across 2 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

Chapter companion notes

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See Ulysses in Canto XXVI: The Eighth Bolgia – Ulysses and Diomed