What is the punishment for heretics in Dante's Inferno?

In Dante's Inferno, heretics are punished in the sixth circle of Hell, where they are trapped in tombs. This punishment reflects the belief that heretics denied the soul's immortality, so it is fitting that they are enclosed in sealed graves, symbolizing their eternal separation from the grace of God and the divine truth. Their tombs are set afire, which adds to their suffering, as they experience both physical entrapment and spiritual torment.

This choice highlights the particular theological views Dante had about heresy and its consequences. It serves as a stark reminder of the eternal state of those who rejected core tenets of faith during their earthly lives, illustrating Dante's larger moral and spiritual allegory throughout the work.

Other options, while related to different sins and their corresponding punishments in other parts of Hell—such as the icy punishment for traitors or the fiery environment for the lustful—do not accurately represent the specific fate of heretics in Dante's narrative.