What term describes punishment fitting the sin, often illustrated with an example?

• A. Kenosis
• B. Contrapasso
• C. Canterbury Tales
• D. Hamlet

Answer: (B)

Contrapasso is the idea that punishment should mirror or counter the sin, a form of poetic justice where the penalty reflects the wrongdoing in a symbolic or literal way. This concept is central to Dante’s Divine Comedy, especially in how different sinners are punished in ways that echo the nature of their crimes—fraudsters, flatterers, or deceitful figures face penalties that comment on their falsehoods, while other sins are punished in forms that reveal their essence. The term itself means counter-suffering, emphasizing that the punishment is a meaningful reflection of the offense.

Other options don’t fit this specific concept. Kenosis refers to the self-emptying of Christ in theology, not a justice mechanism. Canterbury Tales is a literary work, not a term for punishment. Hamlet is a play, also not a term for this idea.