Canto 13

"Not green leaves, but dark in color, not smooth / branches, but knotted and twisted, no fruit was there, / but thorns with poison." (Canto 13, verse 4-6) I think it is interesting that Dante uses tainted trees as a symbol for "the violent against themselves". This punishment seems out of place from the others since it is less violent, although it serves the purpose of Dante's message. This first quote alludes to that suicide or other forms of self-harm poisons the soul, and as a result poison is produced in the afterlife. It is also important not to overlook that these trees do not bear any fruit, which could be a reference to the what is called the fruits of the Holy Spirit, which the condemned souls no longer have as a result of their offense.

As Dante proceeds further, one of the shades admits, "My spirit, at the taste of disdain, believing by death to flee, made me unjust against my just / self." (verse 70) Therefore, not only have they committed an act against the nine fruits, but also an offense against the four virtues, in particular the virtue of justice, which has already been established as one of the most important themes in the Inferno.