A special place in hell: Betrayal

Dante places betrayal at the heart of his Inferno because he believes it is the ultimate violation of love and human fellowship. The Ninth Circle is a frozen lake, and the worst sinners are those who betrayed their benefactors and loved ones. The image of Judas, Brutus, and Cassius being eternally gnawed on by Satan's three faces emphasizes the severity of their betrayal.

In Dante Alighieri's Inferno, the deepest part of Hell, the Ninth Circle, is reserved for traitors. Specifically, the ultimate traitor in Dante's view, and the one who occupies the very center of the Ninth Circle, is Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus Christ. Other notable figures condemned to this level include Brutus and Cassius, who betrayed Julius Caesar