Dante’s Canto V was about the second circle, the circle of lust. This is where the true punishments of Hell begin. Souls in this circle are punished for the sins of lust, incontinence, weakness of will and self-indulgence. The lesson in Canto V is that people who indulge in adultery and those who failed to listen to their conscience are severely punished yet Dante felt pity and sympathy towards them because committing adultery is not deliberately chosen, which is why lust is placed on the least hateful of the sins.