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OutlineofPurgatorio
MajorThemesinPurgatorio
Distancefromearthlylifeandearthlyemotions.Lifeisseenwithnoresentments.Thereisanoverallsenseof
forgiveness,evenagainsttheiraggressors(seePiaincantoV).
Redemption:Sufferingisacceptedbecausethereistheawarenessthatithasapurpose.Itisacceptedwithjoy
becauseitmendstheirsins.
Unselfishness:ContrarytotheInferno,thepronounIisseldomusedforselfpraise,butoftentorecognizea
personalshortcoming.Thesesoulstendtogivecreditforthegoodthathappenedtothemtoothersonthe
contrary,theyalwaysacceptresponsibilityfortheharmtheyhavecausedtothemselvesortoothers.
Indulgences:Onlypeoplestillalivecanhelpthesoulsinpurgatory.Theycanhelpbyshorteningthejourney
thoughprayersandsacrifices.ThisistheonlyrequesttheymaketoDantewhentheyrealizeheisalive.
GeographicalandMoralStructures
Purgatorioisdividedintothreesections:1)AntePurgatorio2)Purgatorioand3)EarthlyParadise.
AntePurgatorio
SomesoulsarenotreadyforvariousreasonstoenterPurgatoriorightaway.Thisisawaitingplace.Itisdivided
intofoursections:
1.ThesoulswhodiedseparatedfromtheChurchmostlythroughexcommunication.
2.Thesoulsofthenegligent.
3.Thesoulsofthosewhodiedaviolentdeath.
4.Thesoulsofthosewhoseattentionwastakenbyearthlymatters.
Purgatorio
Dividedintoseventerracesgroupedintothreesections,correspondingtothesevencapitalsinsoftheChurch.
13LowerPurgatorio:sinscausedbylovedirectedtowardevilends:1)Pride:firstterrace2)Envy,second
terrace3)wrath,thirdterrace.
4.Fourthterraceholdsthosewhoselovetowardgoodendswastooweak:Sloth.
57UpperPurgatorio:Sinscausedbytoomuchloveforhumanpassions:5)Avarice,fifthterrace6)Gluttony,
sixthterrace7)Lust,seventhterrace.
ThestructureofthePurgatorioistheological,incontrastwiththeAristotelianstructureoftheInferno.Thisis
ChristianTheology.
EarthlyParadise
TheplaceforthefinalpurificationbeforebeingadmittedtoHeaven.Itis,therefore,thepassagebetweenearth
andheaven.Itisthefinalritualofpurificationafterallthesinsareredeemed.
HereDantemeetsBeatrice,andisforcedtocometotermswithhisownshortcomings.
Thisisalsothereturntotheprimevalinnocence.AdamandEvewerecreatedandplacedherebyGod.Thisis
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theplacetheylostaftertheoriginalsin.
ItisherethatDanteisgivenavisionofhumanityanditshistory.ItisDante'sApocalypse.Thesecretsof
humanityarerevealedtoDante.
Asthejourneyconcludes,sodoesDante'sunderstandingofhumanexperience.EarthlyParadiseisthereforethe
symbolicpassagefroVirgiltoBeatrice,thatisfromhumanknowledgetodivinewisdom.Thewisdomrepresented
byBeatricecannotbereachedbythehumanintellectalone,withouthelpfromGod'sgrace.
Timeline
ThejourneybeginsatthedawnonEasterDayandlaststhreeandonhalfday.
DayOne:AntePurgatorio.Thefirstsymbolicdream,atthedawntheseconddaymarksthepassageto
Purgatorio.
DayTwo:LowerPurgatorio:attheendofthedayDanteandVirgilreachthefourthterrace.Thetworestand
VirgiltalkstoDanteabouthenatureofLove.Beforewakingup,thenextmorning,Dantehasthesecond
symbolicdream.
DayThree:UpperPurgatorio:Attheendoftheday,thetwopoetsrest,justbeforereachingtheentranceof
EarthlyParadise.Justbeforewakingup,thenextmorning,Dantehasthethirddream.
DayFour:tomiddayonly.MeetingwithBeatriceanddisappearanceofVirgil.Danteconfrontshisshortcomings,
andisgivesthevisionofthehistoryofhumanity.Lastritesofinitiations,thepassagesoftheriversLetheand
Eunowhichmakeshimworthyofheaven.
Danteovercomeshumanweaknessesafterthehumiliationsufferedasaresultofhissins.Hisconsciousness
risestoahigherspirituallevelandheisadmittedtoHeaven.