Is there a possibility that violence and fraud have much in common? Is Dante's veneration for classical scholars more vivid in this canto despite its brevity? Is Virgil's explanation for why usury was a sin convincing? Why does Dante raise the question of usury at this point given that there seems to be no relevant connection with the other two main vices? These are the kinds of questions that make this song very interesting. Canto XI offers us something different from all the action of the past by providing a map of what lies ahead; and what moral concepts would surface. In other words, Virgil gives Dante a quick overview of the structure of Hell. This chant does two interesting things. It presents the physical description of what awaits us and provides the philosophical outline of why the divisions in hell exist. The seventh circle, into which Dante and Virgil were about to descend, deals with violence. The damned souls in this circle are divided into three smaller circles: Those who inflict sins of violence on themselves, on others and against God (28 and 31). To elaborate further, inflicting pain on oneself shows that the person despises himself while this same person should do the opposite. The second applies to those who have malicious intentions when they inflict harm on their victims and these include murderers, looters and thieves (37). How can one commit acts of violence against God? Although it is not physical, the violent act committed consists of being blasphemous and showing contempt when speaking of God. These are sufficient to commit acts of violence against God. In the seventh circle the damage inflicted is direct and does not involve any intermediary. The... middle of paper... fraud. Given the persistent problems between Ghibellines and Guelphs or infighting between white and black Guelphs, bloodshed was the order of the day. Large bloody feuds usually arose from disputes as trivial as stepping on a person's toe which normally escalated exponentially to pitched battles in the streets. Many so-called aristocrats deeply concerned with their family's honor powerfully influenced the culture of Florence; these would be inclined to tolerate bloodshed. Furthermore, they were quite hostile to those who sought power through alternative means, such as the wealthy merchants (mostly rich through usury) who did not use violence but instead fraud and corruption during the early years of the Renaissance. This helps explain why Dante decided to place fraud and usury before violence, given the circumstances in which he saw the political climate of the time..