The Tragedy of Count Ugolino

                For me, one of the most memorable scenes of Inferno has to be Count Ugolino relating the story of his and his sons’ deaths to the pilgrim. The scene is notable for its tragic conclusion and the injustice the young boys find themselves in. Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux captures all of the emotion of the scene perfectly in his sculpture “Ugolino and His Sons.”

                The sculptor accurately shows the differing emotions between Ugolino and his sons. The pain and sadness is clearly visible across the three sons who are still alive. The fourth has already perished at the feet of his father. Ugolino’s emotions, on the other hand, can only be described as anger. Carpeaux picks up on the moment where Ugolino’s anger peaks and he has no words for his terrified children. He is only able to gnaw at his hands, angry at himself and the man responsible for this injustice, Archbishop Ruggieri. Gnawing on his hands takes on different meanings later on, as it seems that Ugolino may continue these cannibalistic tendencies by eating his children and does continue this animalistic meal by biting at his enemy’s head in the afterlife. Also, I believe this sculpture’s depiction of Ugolino’s anger relates to another scene of the Comedy. In the circle of sinners who were violent against God we meet Capaneus. Part of his punishment stemmed from the anger he had in life, which was then carried over to his eternity to be spent in Hell. I think this directly relates to Ugolino as well. Part of his punishment in Hell is this anger that consumes his whole being, never letting him rest in his hope for revenge against Ruggieri. One of the notes in the text tell us that the Ugolino's children were not actually as young as they appear to be in the poem or the artwork. Yet it is this youth, and their supposed purity and innocence stemming from their youth, that makes this an even more heinous crime for Ruggieri.

             This piece is very emotional and succeeds in bringing about the same feelings that the original text conjures up in the audience. While Ugolino may have been a sinner in this life, one cannot help but pity his innocent children and even Ugolino himself, clearly furious for the imminent death of his sons.