In which circle would you find the souls of the violent against themselves?

The correct answer is the seventh circle, where the souls of the violent against themselves are found. In Dante's "Inferno," the seventh circle of hell is specifically designated for those who committed violent acts, and it is divided into three rings. The souls of the violent against themselves, which include suicides and profligates, are punished in the second ring of this circle.

In this section of hell, Dante depicts these sinners as transformed into thorny bushes and trees, tortured by the Harpies. The imagery highlights their self-inflicted violence, as they rejected their own human form and life. Their punishment reflects the idea that they cannot find peace, as they denied life itself, illustrating Dante's broader themes of justice and the consequences of one’s choices in life.

The first circle is for the unbaptized and virtuous pagans, the fifth circle is meant for the wrathful and sullen, and the ninth circle is reserved for the treacherous. Thus, the unique placement of self-violent souls in the seventh circle aligns with Dante's moral structure of sin and punishment, reinforcing their specific transgression against themselves.