What is the significance of Minos circling his tail in Dante's Inferno?

The act of Minos circling his tail in Dante's "Inferno" serves a critical function within the narrative, as it indicates the specific circle of Hell to which a soul is destined to go. In this portrayal, Minos, as the judge of the damned, wraps his tail around himself a number of times that corresponds to the level of Hell the newly arrived souls must enter. Each curl of his tail effectively communicates the severity of the sin committed by the condemned, which determines their place in the increasingly punishing circles of Hell. This imagery reinforces the structured, systematic nature of Dante's vision of the afterlife, where justice is both deliberate and aligned with the moral weight of one's earthly actions.