The Inferno · Chapter
Epigraph explained
The epigraph quotes a Latin phrase attributed to St.
What happens
The epigraph quotes a Latin phrase attributed to St. Remigius, urging the proud Segambre to bow his head, worship what he has burned, and burn what he has worshipped, setting a tone of conversion and reversal.
Free preview opens on this chapter — companions, themes, and character notes appear beside the text.
Narrative arc
Story tension across the book.
- Setup
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
This excerpt is the dramatic climax because it reveals the narrator’s psychological peak of self-identificatio…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- Religion and Spiritual Crisis
The epigraph directly invokes religious conversion, commanding a reversal of worship and destruction, which echoes themes of spiritual crisis and transformation.
Key passages
“Courbe la tête fier Segambre; adore ce qui tu as brûlé; brûle ce qui tu as adoré!”
Bow your head, proud Segambre; worship what you have burned; burn what you have worshipped!
This is a direct translation of the Latin epigraph, attributed to St. Remigius, symbolizing a command to abandon past beliefs and embrace a new faith.
