Cantos 5-6

Cantos V
Line 19--"Don't Be deceived because the gate is wide."
This is a comment not only on the obvious situation in the book but also on society. Minos is warning Dante to be cautious of wanting to go deeper into hell even though the door seems wide and welcoming. However, this is also true in society, some things arent as they seem or are worse than they seem to be.

In Cantos V Dante describes many of the people in the second layer of hell which is dominated by those with lustfull thoughts. However, almost all of the people that he describes are women. Cleopatra, Helen, and Dido were all women. He does mention a few men such as Achillis and Paris, but the first names he speaks of are those of women. This could be a comment on the nature of women or how men viewed women.

Cantos VI
--The description of the third circle of hell is quite graphic and shows some humor on Dantes part. The people of the third ring are the gluttons. This is humorous because the gluttons are forced to glut themselves on crap and dirt. THey have excess of rain and snow and hail and are in general in a filthy condition which is opposite of what they had lived in during life.

Line 68-76--"For the triple sparks of envy, greed, and pride...If they feel Heaven's Sweetness, or Infernal poison...among the blackest in Hell,"
This is a foreshadow into the deeper circles of hell. Dante asks what has become of people who he knew in life. They were the leaders of the rebellion in Italy in Dantes town. He will most likely meet them later on in the story, deeper in hell. This could be a comment against the people who had bannished him. He could be condemning them to his hell.