Cantos 23-25

[Canto 23]
Aesop's fable story is about how a mouse asked a frog to help her get across the river. The frog tied the mouse's front leg to her own back leg using a piece of string and they swam out to the middle of the stream. The frog then turned traitor and plunged down into the water, dragging the mouse along with her. The mouse's dead body floated up to the surface and was drifting along when a kite flew by and noticed something he could snatch. When he grabbed the mouse he also carried off her friend the frog. Thus the treacherous frog who had betrayed the mouse's life was likewise killed and eaten. The noise reminded him of this and how the hypocrites can be referred to as the frog.

[Canto 24]
The way the serpent looks reminds Dante of the other monsters he encountered. The way the snake wraps it's tail around the sinner reminds Dante of the way Geryon's tail moved. The idea of tails is very important and in medieval times a beast's tail showed the ferocity and strength of the beast.

[Canto 25]
"To be sure my leader heard, I signaled him" This is showing how Dante is gaining confidence and independence. In the beginning he was begging Virgil to not leave him and stay by his side but now as he as almost gone through all the circles of hell he has finally gained confidence. Cianfa belonged to the Donati family in Florence. This is significant because Dante blames Corso Donati for the downfall in Florence and for sees him being dragged into hell by a beast.