What overarching sin is primarily addressed in Circle 7 of Dante's Inferno?

Circle 7 of Dante's Inferno is dedicated to the sin of violence, which encompasses three distinct categories: violence against others (murder, assault), violence against oneself (suicide), and violence against God (blasphemy, sodomy, and usury). This circle is further divided into three rings to classify these different forms of violence, reflecting Dante's belief in the seriousness of these transgressions.

The souls punished in Circle 7 include tyrants and war-makers in the first ring, suicides in the second ring, and blasphemers and sodomites in the third ring. Each group is subjected to a form of torment that reflects their sins, emphasizing the significance of violence in the moral landscape that Dante portrays.

Understanding this context helps illustrate why violence is the central theme of Circle 7, making it clear that it is not just a sin, but rather a grave violation of human dignity, respect for life, and divine order, which Dante sought to convey through vivid imagery and structured punishment.