Mastery of Language In the Inferno - Dante's immortal drama of a journey through hell, Dante allows the reader to experience his every move. His mastery of language, his sensitivity to the sights and sounds of nature, and his infinite store of knowledge allow him to captivate and drag the reader into the realm of earthly hell. In Canto 6, the Golosi; Canto 13, The Violent Against Themselves; and Canto 23, the Hypocrites; Dante excels in his detailed depiction of the supernatural world of hell. In each canto, Dante combines his mastery of language with his sensitivity to the sights and sounds of nature to set the stage. He then reinforces the image with examples that appeal to his infinite store of knowledge, and thus draws a parallel that describes the experience in further, if more subliminal, detail for the reader. Through his mastery of language, Dante allows the reader to see what he sees, to hear what he hears, and to hear what he feels, and thus experience his sensitivity to the images and sounds of nature. In Canto 6, Dante introduces the reader to the ferocious monster, Cerberus, and describes in detail his grotesque characteristics. He states, “His eyes are red, his beard is smeared with phlegm, / his belly is swollen, and his hands are claws / for tearing the wretches, flaying them, and mangling them” (66). This quote vividly describes the man-beast Cerberus that Dante encountered and allows the reader to feel present in the scene with Dante. He further emphasizes sights and sounds to portray the hellish environment when he states “Huge hailstones, dirty water, and black snow / pour from the dismal air to rot / the putrid slush that awaits them below” (66). This example is one of many that illustrate Dante's ability to show the places he encounters. Dante adds another dimension by providing the reader with the ability to hear the sounds present in Circle III of Hell. An example of this is when he states “and they (the victims) too, howl like dogs in the freezing storm” (66). Dante also describes very well how the victims feel about their overall situation with the statement “I lie here rotting like a swollen log” (67). This quote helps the reader not only understand how gluttony victims feel, but also imagine them lying in the soggy mess of garbage..