Purgatorio

Purgatory proper (Cantos X-XXVII)

Canto X

The gate shuts behind Dante and Virgil, who are now in Purgatory-proper. They are climbing through a cleft in the rock, which seems to sway from side to side. As they go along, Dante realises that the inner rock face is made of white marble, and decorated with carvings depicting three scenes: the Annunciation; David dancing before the ark of the covenant; and the Emperor Trajan. These sculptures, made by God, all depict examples of humility: the travellers are on the first terrace of Purgatory, the Terrace of Pride. Virgil points out figures, barely perceptible to Dante, who are hidden under the weight of rocks, bent double.

The canto can be divided into five sections:

the initial progress into Purgatory-proper (1-27)
the carving of the Annunciation (28-48)
the carving of David dancing before the Ark of the Covenant, and transporting the Ark to Jerusalem (49-69)
the carving of the Emperor Trajan (70-96)
the sight of the penitent souls bent under the rocks (97-139).

Discussion point: the carvings

The carvings are the first set of examples which Dante sees in Purgatory. Throughout Purgatory, Dante will either see, hear about, or have visions of examples of the vices being purged, and their opposite virtue. What stories are being depicted here (see the notes in your edition)? Why are they appropriate examples for the Terrace of Pride? The carvings were made directly by God; how does Dante convey just how good they are?

At the end of the canto, we discover that the souls on this terrace have to carry enormous weights on their backs. What might the significance of this form of suffering be, given that we are on the Terrace of Pride?

The theme of art will be important throughout the Terrace of Pride, where Dantemeets one artist, and discusses other artists. It is often suggested by critics that Dante is himself showing off his talent as a writer, by describing God’s art so effectively. But it is also true that the description (and indeed this terrace as a whole) emphasises Dante’s own confusion; this confusion runs counter to the view that Dante is using the Terrace of Pride to promote his own reputation.

Canto XI

The canto opens with a version of the Lord’s Prayer, spoken by the souls. Virgil asks them for help in moving up the mountain, and a voice replies saying that he will help. He cannot look up, but he is Omberto Aldobrandesco, who says that he was so proud in life that he even died because of it; it is because of his pride, that he must carry the boulder. Dante has bent down to listen to Omberto, and another soul is calling out to him: Oderisi da Gubbio, a manuscript illuminator. Oderisi describes how his own fame has been taken over by a new artist, Franco Bolognese; in the same way, the great artist Cimabue has been eclipsed by Giotto, and the poet Guido Cavalcanti has taken the fame of Guido Guinizelli. Human fame is worthless, Oderisi explains, in the light of eternity. Oderisi points out Provenzano Salvani (c. 1220-1269), who rose to power in Siena and had supported the razing of Florence. Dante asks Oderisi why it is that Salvani, a late repentant, is not still in Ante-Purgatory; Oderisi explains that towards the end of his life Salvani had willingly suffered humiliation in order to raise a ransom which could pay for the release of his friend who had been captured by Charles of Anjou. Oderisi ends with an obscure reference to Dante’s own exile.

The canto can be divided up into four sections:

the Lord’s Prayer (1-24)
Dante comments on the need for prayer; Virgil asks for directions; Omberto Aldobrandesco replies (25-73)
Oderisi da Gubbioís discussion of pride (74-108)
Oderisi da Gubbioís discussion of Provenzano Salvani (109-142).

Discussion point: Oderisi

Aldobrandesco and Oderisi are the first souls in Purgatory-proper that Dante meets. What characterises them in their words to Dante? How do they speak of the reason why they find themselves here in Purgatory? Oderisi expresses some political opinions which relate back to the views which Dante expressed in Cantos VI and VII. What are these? How might they relate to the vice of pride?

Oderisi’s account of fame (100-108) is extremely interesting. In the Inferno the sinners there were keen to have their name spoken of in the world: many of them seemed to cling onto the notion of their own fame. What is wrong with earthly fame, in Oderisi’s view?

Dante is often understood to have analysed the beginnings of the Italian Renaissance in art, with Oderisi’s account of how Giotto built on Cimabue’s achievements, and progressed beyond them. In fact the interesting point here is not so much that Dante recognised the artistic progress that was being made, but that he is pointing out that, in the perspective of eternity, artistic progress (or progress in any field) suddenly looks rather less impressive than it did.

The encounter with the souls on this terrace also requires Dante himself to bend down to speak to them: he is imitating their suffering. This suggests that Dante-personaggio is also undergoing some process of purgation in this canto, through his experiences here. (This idea is furthered by the fact that he has seven Ps on his forehead - one for each vice - which must be washed off one by one as he moves through Purgatory.)

Canto XII

Dante and Virgil continue on their way, and Virgil directs Dante to look downwards. Dante sees carvings in the ground, which resemble tombstones. These display various images of pride punished, including Lucifer and Troy. Dante is bent double to look at these; as he moves on, Virgil tells him to raise his head, as an angel is coming towards them. The angel leads them to a place where the rock is cut away, and hits Dante’s forehead with his wings. As they enter the steps which lead into the next terrace, they hear voices singing ‘Beati pauperes spiritu’ (blessed are the poor of spirit). Dante realises that he feels much lighter, and Virgil explains that as the Ps are removed from his forehead, Dante will feel progressively lighter. Dante feels his forehead, and realises that one of the seven letters has been erased.

The canto can be divided into two sections:

the description of the carvings on the ground (1-72)
the arrival of the angel, the transition to the next terrace, and the erasure of the first P on Dante’s forehead (73-136).

Discussion point: 'UOM' and pride

You may have noticed in reading that the first letters of the first lines of each terzina from lines 25 to 58 form the word ‘UOM’. (This poetic device is called an acrostic.) Why do you think Dante has done this here?

Recall Oderisi’s description of the futility of pride in Canto XI, which he associates with the impermanence of worldly life. Are there elements in the description of the carvings on the ground which also recall this idea?

At the end of the canto, the first P is erased. The implication is that the journey is also transforming Dante’s own consciousness. This idea is also suggested at the beginning of the canto: Dante stands up after talking with Oderisi, but mentally he remains bent double and humble: ‘avvegna che i pensieri/mi rimanessero e chinati e scemi’ [And yet my thoughts/remained in me stripped bare, reduced, bowed low.’](8-9).

Canto XIII

Dante and Virgil find themselves on the second terrace of Purgatory, the Terrace of Envy. At first there appears to be nobody about, so Virgil takes his bearings from the position of the sun. After they have walked for about a mile, they hear spirits flying towards them, crying out examples of compassion. Virgil tells Dante to look ahead, and he sees shades who are dressed in clothes of the same colour as the rock of the mountain-face. They are singing a litany of the saints. As Dante reaches them, he sees that they are leaning against each other, like blind people begging. Each soul has his eyelids sewn up with iron wire. Dante asks whether there are any Italians amongst them. One replies, and Dante looks along and sees that one of the shades is raising its chin. This is Sapia (mid-thirteenth century), the aunt of Provenzano Salvani (whom Dante saw in Canto XI). The Salvanis were an important Sienese family; Sapia tells of how she rejoiced at the defeat of her fellow citizens in battle, shouting defiantly at God. She asked for forgiveness at the end of her life, and Pier Pettinaio prayed for her. She asks for Dante to restore her reputation when she returns.

The canto can be divided into three sections:

the arrival on the second terrace; the examples of compassion (1-42)
Dante and Virgil see the shades of the envious (43-153)
the conversation with Sapia Salvani (100-154).

Discussion point: compassion

Use your text and the notes to your edition of the text to understand the examples of compassion being alluded to here. Why are they appropriate to the Terrace of Envy? Whereas on the Terrace of Pride, the examples had been experienced by Dante through sight, here on the Terrace of Envy they are experienced as sound. Why might this be the case?

The idea that souls in Purgatory need the prayers of those on earth is familiar by this stage of the text. But here on this terrace, this is taken a stage further. The souls are praying to the saints, asking them to pray for them. Why might this be appropriate on this particular terrace?

Discussion point: characterisation and language

As so often, Dante is able in this canto to depict character with considerable skill. In the case of Sapia, he shows her to have considerable linguistic skill. When Dante-personaggio asks whether there are any Italians among the souls, she responds: ‘O frate mio, ciascuna è cittadina/díuna vera città; ma tu vuoí dire/che vivesse in Italia peregrina’ [‘We are, dear brother, now all citizens/of one true place. But you must mean:/ "…who winged his pilgrim life through Italy".’] (94-6). What does she mean by ‘una vera città’? And what do you think she means when she says that she lived in Italy as a ‘peregrina’? Later on, she says that ‘Savia non fui, avvegna che Sapìa/fossi chiamata’ (109-10). What is the word play she is making?

This eloquence raises a very interesting question. Medieval culture often mistrusted female eloquence: it was believed to have been Eve’s powers of persuasion which convinced Adam to eat from the tree in the Garden of Eden. In Inferno V, Dante too had provided us with an example of a highly articulate woman whose eloquence seemed dangerous: Francesca. With Sapia, however, he offers us an example of a woman who is articulate, but uses her eloquence to make careful and important moral distinctions. It would appear, then, that Dante does not simply accept the medieval mistrust of female speech.

Canto XIV

Two souls are discussing the presence of Dante, and one asks him who he is. Dantedescribes where he comes from in oblique terms, and one of the souls says it is not surprising that he felt unable to name the river Arno directly. These are Guido del Duca (d. 1250), and Rinieri (d.1296). Guido predicts that a tyrannical regime will be imposed on Florence. Examples of envy punished are shouted out.

The canto can be divided into three sections:

the two souls ask Dante who he is; Dante explains where he comes from (1-24)
the denunciation of the Arno valley, the prophecy of the future of Florence, and the account of the decline of Romagna (25-126)
the example of envy punished, and Virgil’s encouragement to Dante to continue (127-151).

Discussion point: the Arno valley

Although many of the political arguments made in the Purgatorio by Dante-poeta, Dante-personaggio, and the figures he meets are broadly similar, often the rhetoric in which they are put forward is radically different. Here, the rhetoric is based on the geography of the Arno valley. (You may find it useful to consult a map of the Arno valley, such as the one in your edition of the text, to follow Guido’s argument.) Which metaphors does Guido use to describe the political decay of that part of Italy? How do they relate to the Arno valley? There are some striking parallels between Guido’s account of the Arno valley, and the geography of Hell. Think of the basic structure of Hell. What are these parallels? What point is Dante making by having such echoes appear in his text?

Canto XV

It is late in the afternoon, and Dante and Virgil are walking towards the West. Dantefeels a bright light above him, which is moving so quickly that it disorients him. Virgil explains that it is an angel who has come to usher them to the next terrace. They enter another stairway, and they hear the words ‘Beati misericordes!’ (‘Blessed are the merciful’) being sung behind them, and ‘Rejoice, you who overcome!’ Dante asks Virgil for clarification of something said by Guido del Duca on the Terrace of Envy; Virgil draws a distinction between earthly and heavenly goods. As Virgil finishes his explanation, they arrive on the third terrace, the Terrace of Anger, and suddenly Dante has a vision in which he sees three examples of gentleness: the first, from the life of the Virgin; the second, from Valerius Maximus; finally, from the story of St Stephen, who was killed by a mob after he had denounced Israel’s pride. Danterecovers consciousness, and Virgil encourages him to continue on his way. They enter a dark cloud of smoke.

The canto can be divided into six sections:

the arrival of the angel, the ascent to the third terrace (1-43)
Virgil’s explanation of the difference between heavenly and earthly goods (44-81)
the arrival on the third terrace, and Dante’s first vision (82-93)
the second vision (94-105)
the third vision (106-114)
Dante and Virgil’s progress (115-145).

The discussion of the difference between heavenly and worldly goods is an anticipation of the Paradiso. But it is also important in the context of the Purgatorio. For in the Purgatorio, souls are learning to desire heavenly goods, rather than earthly goods. Dante-personaggio himself seems to be at a very early stage of this process (as Virgil makes clear in 64-6). The concept of envy is inapplicable to God’s love, Virgil explains, as God’s love is infinite.

Canto XVI

Dante finds himself surrounded by a thick dark smoke; he hears voices singing ‘Agnus Dei’. A voice asks who they are; this is Marco Lombardo. Dante explains what he is doing; and Marco shows him the direction he needs to take. Dante asks him to explain the cause of wickedness in the world. Marco explains that living people attribute causes to the heavens, that in doing so they ignore the importance of free will. This means that the cause of malice in the world must be sought within the human beings living there. He goes on to give an account of why the law is necessary, and why it is necessary to separate spiritual and civil powers.

The canto can be divided into two sections:

the walk along the third terrace, and the ‘Agnus Dei’ (1-24)
Marco Lombardo’s discourse (25-145).

Discussion point: free will

There are several key ideas in Marco Lombardo’s discourse. The first is that of free will. Marco gives an account of how the human being encounters freedom. What are the stages which humans go through in learning to be free? (See especially 73-93.)

Second, Marco explains why laws are necessary, and why they have fallen into disrepute (94-102). The law served to encourage people to pursue the right goods.

Third, Marco elaborates a theory of the division between Empire and Church. AncientRome, he said, had two powers, one of which showed the path of the world, and one of which showed the path of God (107-8). The problem now is that the two have joined together; the Roman Church has become too involved in politics; as a result it falls into the mud (‘cade nel fango’ (129)).

Marco’s discourse draws together in a cogent synthesis considerations of human nature and of politics. What is the link that he makes between the two?

Canto XVII

Dante and Virgil emerge from the smoke, and Dante experiences visions of examples of anger: the Crucifixion of Haman; then the story from the Aeneid of Amata. A spirit directs the pair upwards, and they find another stairway; as they begin the climb, an angel wipes from Dante’s brow the third P. They arrive on the fourth terrace, the Terrace of Slothfulness. Dante asks Virgil to explain to him which vice is being purged in this terrace. Virgil gives a detailed explanation of the structure of Purgatory.

The canto can be divided into three sections:

the visions of anger (1-37)
the erasure of the P, and the arrival on the fourth terrace (38-81)
Virgil’s explanation of the origin of vice and the structure of Purgatory (82-139).

We will return to Virgil’s explanation of the structure of Purgatory when we discuss major themes.

Canto XVIII

In response to a question from Dante, Virgil explains the nature of love, which he says is derived from its object. They find souls running around them, crying out examples of zeal. They come across the abbot of San Zeno.

The canto can be divided into three sections:

Virgil’s explanation (1-75)
the souls of the slothful (76-112)
the abbot of San Zeno (113-145).

Discussion point: love

Virgil’s explanation of love is dense, and not necessarily easy to understand. To make sense of it, read through the passage in lines 16-75 again. Stop at the following stages, and try and state what Virgil’s answers are to the following questions:

19-21: why are we drawn to pleasing things?
22-33: how does the mind go from seeing an object, to desiring it, to satisfaction? (Notice the comparison: the mind is like a fire.)
34-39: why is not all love good?
40-45: Dante’s question: if love arises through these natural operations, how can we judge humans?
55-63: as well as natural desires, what else is innate in human beings?
64-75: what is the ‘nobile virtù’ which Beatrice calls ‘lo libero arbitrio’?

There is a clear instance in this canto where Virgil’s limitations are highlighted: when Dante asks him about the role of free will, he says that he can only tell Dante what reason is able to indicate. Beatrice will do the rest, which is a matter of faith (46-8). This passage is one of the main reasons why Virgil has been seen as a symbol for human reason, and Beatrice a symbol for faith; we shall explore this matter further in the section on Virgil and Beatrice, under Major Themes.

Canto XIV

Two souls are discussing the presence of Dante, and one asks him who he is. Dante describes where he comes from in oblique terms, and one of the souls says it is not surprising that he felt unable to name the river Arno directly. These are Guido del Duca (d. 1250), and Rinieri (d.1296). Guido predicts that a tyrannical regime will be imposed on Florence. Examples of envy punished are shouted out.

The canto can be divided into three sections:

the two souls ask Dante who he is; Dante explains where he comes from (1-24)
the denunciation of the Arno valley, the prophecy of the future of Florence, and the account of the decline of Romagna (25-126)
the example of envy punished, and Virgil’s encouragement to Dante to continue (127-151).

Discussion point: the Arno valley

Canto XV

The canto can be divided into six sections:

the arrival of the angel, the ascent to the third terrace (1-43)
Virgil’s explanation of the difference between heavenly and earthly goods (44-81)
the arrival on the third terrace, and Dante’s first vision (82-93)
the second vision (94-105)
the third vision (106-114)
Dante and Virgil’s progress (115-145).

Canto XVI

The canto can be divided into two sections:

the walk along the third terrace, and the ‘Agnus Dei’ (1-24)
Marco Lombardo’s discourse (25-145).

Discussion point: free will

Second, Marco explains why laws are necessary, and why they have fallen into disrepute (94-102). The law served to encourage people to pursue the right goods.

Marco’s discourse draws together in a cogent synthesis considerations of human nature and of politics. What is the link that he makes between the two?

Canto XVII

The canto can be divided into three sections:

the visions of anger (1-37)
the erasure of the P, and the arrival on the fourth terrace (38-81)
Virgil’s explanation of the origin of vice and the structure of Purgatory (82-139).

We will return to Virgil’s explanation of the structure of Purgatory when we discuss major themes.

Canto XVIII

The canto can be divided into three sections:

Virgil’s explanation (1-75)
the souls of the slothful (76-112)
the abbot of San Zeno (113-145).

Discussion point: love

19-21: why are we drawn to pleasing things?
22-33: how does the mind go from seeing an object, to desiring it, to satisfaction? (Notice the comparison: the mind is like a fire.)
34-39: why is not all love good?
40-45: Dante’s question: if love arises through these natural operations, how can we judge humans?
55-63: as well as natural desires, what else is innate in human beings?
64-75: what is the ‘nobile virtù’ which Beatrice calls ‘lo libero arbitrio’?

Canto XIX

Dante has a dream of a female, who sings to Dante, and reveals herself to be a siren. Virgil reveals her stinking belly. An angel comes to erase the next P, and to guide them up beyond the angel. The thought of the siren is still in Dante’s mind, and Virgil spurs him on. They arrive at the fifth terrace, the Terrace of Avarice, and find souls lying on the ground, facing downwards, saying a prayer. Pope Adrian V (1215-1276) then speaks, and gives an account of his life. Dante kneels down to speak to him, out of reverence, but Adrian encourages him to stand up.

The canto can be divided into four sections:

the siren (1-33)
the passage to the next terrace, and the erasure of the P (34-69)
the fifth terrace, and the prostrate souls (70-87)
Adrian V (88-145).

Discussion point: recollections of Inferno

The siren’s temptation of Dante recalls Inferno XXVI, and the encounter with Ulysses. Dante must resist temptation, and the siren says explicitly that she had been able to tempt Ulysses. There were some very important parallels between Ulysses in Inferno XXVI, and Dante: most significantly, both went on a journey in search of knowledge. What do you think is the significance of the dream episode - and its outcome - in this parallel between Dante and Ulysses?

The encounter with Adrian V also recalls the Inferno: in particular, Canto XIX, in which the simoniac popes were punished. The popes in Inferno XIX had, too, been avaricious; their punishment is in some ways similar to that of the avaricious here (being stuffed into the ground).

Canto XX

Dante-poeta denounces avarice. As Dante and Virgil progress, they hear examples of liberality being called out. Dante addresses one of these souls, who is Hugues Capet (d. 996), king of France. He describes how he found himself as king, and the political situation at the time. He offers a prophecy that a new Charles will emerge in France. Having left Hugues Capet, they feel an earthquake, and the hymn ‘Gloria in excelsis Deo’ is sung.

The canto can be divided into three sections:

the denunciation of avarice; the examples of liberality (1-27).
Hugues Capet (28-123)
the earthquake and the ‘Gloria’ (124-142).

What are the elements making up Hugues Capet’s prophecy to Dante? Hugues Capet’s prophecy of events relating to the humiliation of Pope Boniface VIII is interesting in that it draws a link between the humiliation of the pope, and the humiliation of Christ (87-93). This is a negative version of the imitation of Christ: the suffering inflicted on Christ by humanity is repeated again. It is worth noting that even though Dante is perfectly capable of being critical of the popes themselves, he does, however, retain his respect for the office of Pope.

The description of the earthquake is rich in biblical allusions. The most obvious one is to those shepherds who first heard the song ‘Gloria in Excelsis Deo’. The account of this is found in Luke 2: 8-16.

Canto XXI

As Dante and Virgil progress, a shade appears; Virgil asks him to explain why the mountain had shaken. The mountain only trembles when a soul is cleansed, so that it can rise up the mountain. This shade is Statius, the Roman poet, (c. AD 45-96). Statius, not realising the identity of his interlocutors, begins to describe how much he admires Virgil, and how he would wish to have been alive at the time when Virgil lived. Dante cannot help smiling at this, and has to explain his amusement: when Statius hears that he has in fact been speaking to the Virgil he so admires, he attempts to embrace Virgil’s feet, forgetting that he and Virgil are both shades.

This canto can be divided into three sections:

the appearance of Statius (1-16)
Statius’s explanation of the earthquake (17-81)
Statius introduces himself; eventually Virgil is identified to him (82-136).

Discussion point: Statius

Is there anything unusual about the way in which Statius appears to Dante and Virgil? Usually in the Purgatorio and the Inferno we meet characters and phenomena through Dante’s perception of them: the poem tells us about things in the order that Dante experiences them. Look carefully at lines 10-13. Is that true here? What is unusual? Why do you think Dante does this?

Notice the very clear link drawn between Statius and the figure of Christ in lines 7-12. This is perhaps the clearest link we have had between a soul in Purgatory, and Christ. Why does Dante draw a comparison between Statius at this stage in his journey of salvation, and the figure of Christ just after his resurrection?

It is fair to say that the previous few cantos have been rather serious in tone; here, however, there is humour in the encounter with Statius, and in the way in which Dante cannot suppress a smile when Statius fails to realise who Virgil is.

Canto XXII

Dante, Virgil, and Statius have progressed to the stairway to the next terrace, and Dante has had another P erased. Virgil asks Statius how he could possibly have been avaricious. In fact, Statius explains, his vice was not avarice, but the opposite: excessive liberality. He was purged in the Terrace of Avarice because of this. Virgil then goes on to question Statius over his conversion: when Statius wrote his major work, the Thebaid, he had not yet converted to Christianity; but he must have converted, for good works alone are not enough to achieve salvation. Statius explains that it was in fact Virgil who was the cause of his conversion. By the time Statius was born, Christianity was already prevalent; he found Virgil’s works consonant with Christianity, and converted secretly. Indeed, for over four hundred years, Statius was on the Terrace of Sloth, because he had pretended to be a pagan for so long. He asks after some of the great classical poets, and Virgil explains that they are in Limbo. Dante falls behind, and listens to their conversation about poetry. They arrive at the sixth terrace, the Terrace of Gluttony. Then they come across a tree bearing sweet-smelling fruit, which looks like an inverted fir tree; a waterfall is landing onto it. As Virgil and Statius come close to the tree, a voice from within it calls out that they shall not eat the food, and mentions examples of abstinence.

The canto can be divided into five sections:

the passage, and erasure of the P (1-9)
Virgil and Statius’s discussion of Statius’s vice (10-54)
Statius’s description of his conversion (55-93)
Virgil tells Statius about the fate of the classical poets (94-114)
the arrival on the sixth terrace; the inverted tree; the examples of abstinence (115-154).

Discussion point: Statius and Avarice

It is worth spending some time on the figure of Statius. The notes in your edition of the text will help you answer the following questions:

When, and in which text, did Statius sing of ‘la doppia trestizi di Giocasta’ (56)?
When did Domitian persecute the Christians, and why should that matter in Statius’s life?
When, and in which text, did Statius ‘lead the Greeks to Thebes’ (89)?
Finally, when did Statius convert?

Dante refers to Virgil as ‘il cantor deí buccolici carmi’ (57): a reference to his Eclogues. This is unusual, since he has until now in the Commedia tended to be more strongly associated with the ‘high’ style of the Aeneid. It is partly a reminder that one of the reasons why Virgil was so highly esteemed in the Middle Ages was his mastery of all three styles. But Dante clearly wishes to raise the Eclogues in the reader’s mind for another reason. The Fourth Eclogue plays a particular part in Statius’s conversion: what is its importance?

The inverted tree is extremely interesting. It clearly refers to the tree of knowledge in the Garden of Eden, with its tempting fruit. But it is inverted - it is the opposite, as if to suggest that through this tree, original sin can be reversed. Indeed, a voice from within the tree refers to two moments within salvation history. First, by crying out ‘di questo cibo avrete caro’ [‘Of this dear fruit you’ll know the bitter dearth’(141), it alludes to God’s decree that Adam should not eat the fruit on the tree of knowledge. (In Christian thought it was the failure to follow this decree that led to the expulsion of Adam and Eve from Eden, and left humanity tainted with sin.) Second, by giving the example of the wedding at Cana, the voice alludes to Christ’s first miracle. This in turn was seen as a prefigurement of the Eucharist (whereas at Cana Christ had turned water into wine, in the Eucharist wine becomes the blood of Christ), which was the way in which the Christian faithful received the grace and forgiveness of sins won by Christ in his Crucifixion and resurrection.

The phrase used by Statius to express his debt to Virgil is memorable: ‘per te poeta fui, per te cristiano’ [‘I was, through you, a poet and a Christian, too’](73). This is perhaps the canto where we most fully have a sense of Virgil’s importance to Dante, and why he chose him as the guide for Dante-personaggio through Hell and Purgatory.

Canto XXIII

Dante, Virgil and Statius are continuing to walk around the sixth terrace, when they hear souls singing the words ‘labia mea, Domine’(‘my lips, O Lord’;. A crowd of souls come along, with their faces so emaciated that the word ‘omo’ (man) can be read on their faces. One of the crowd recognises Dante, and speaks to him; Dante recognises this soul’s voice as that of Forese Donati (d. 1296), a prominent Florentine and friend of Dante. Forese explains that all the shades on the Terrace of Gluttony must purge themselves by experiencing hunger and thirst; they must walk repeatedly around the sweet-smelling trees. Dante asks Forese how it could be that he should find himself here so soon, for in life he was a late repentant, and had in fact died only five years previously. (In other words, Dante would expect him to be in Ante-Purgatory.) Forese explains that his widow, Nella, has been praying for him, and has therefore accelerated his progress. He then gives a prophecy which denounces the Florentine women for their loose morals.

The canto can be divided into three sections:

the singing of ‘labia mea, Domine’; description of emaciated shades (1-36)
Forese Donato, and his explanation of the purging (37-75).
Forese describes Nella’s prayers; his denunciation of Florentine women; Dante points out Virgil and Statius (76-133).

Discussion point: Forese Donati and the nature of suffering in Purgatory

What evidence is there in this canto about Dante’s relationship with him? The historical relationship between Forese and Dante is quite controversial in Dante scholarship. A well-known set of poems - the tenzone - exists, purporting to be an exchange between Dante and Forese. These poems are jocular in tone, and refer to a homosexual relationship between Dante and Forese. You should be aware of the tenzone’s existence; however, there are serious doubts about whether or not it is genuine. We have in the text of the Purgatorio only the vaguest allusions to Forese’s and Dante’s friendship; we need to be wary of relying on the ideas expressed in the tenzone in our reading of Purgatorio XXIII.

Forese says that the desire that leads the souls to the sweet-smelling trees on the Terrace of Gluttony is the same desire as that which Christ, ‘lieto’ [‘in his joy’], to say ‘Elì’ (73-5). Look at the account of Christ’s death in Matthew 27: 45-50. What does the word ‘Eli’ mean? What differences are there between the account in Matthew and Forese’s brief description of this moment? Dante’s use of the word ‘lieto’ in the canto exemplifies his quite extraordinary inventiveness. The biblical account of this, as you will have found, certainly makes no mention of Christ being happy at this moment. Changing what the Bible says about this most sacred of moments seems an extremely audacious move on Dante’s part. But Dante has a point. He is emphasising that the act of redemption was carried out gladly; and the suffering undergone by the souls in Purgatory (to which that act is compared) must also be experienced willingly. Because, in Dante’s view, Christ sacrificed himself willingly, so too must the penitent souls choose to undergo their suffering.

Further listening: download a short lecture, by Matthew Treherne (University of Leeds), relating to this canto at: Key Moments in the Commedia 8: Purgatorio XXIII, 70-75 .

Canto XXIV

Dante carries on talking with Forese, and Dante asks him where Piccarda, Forese’s sister, finds herself. Forese tells him that she is in Paradise. Forese points out Bonagiunta da Lucca, and other gluttonous souls. Dante finds himself most keen to speak with Bonagiunta, a mid-thirteenth century poet of the Sicilian school. He asks Dante if he is the author of the poem ‘Donne che avete intelletto díamore’; Dantegives a brief description of how he writes poetry; Bonagiunta declares that this description has shown him what it was that held him and his contemporaries back in poetry. Forese asks Dante when he will see him again; Forese gives another brief prophecy, and leaves Dante to walk on with Statius and Virgil. They come across another fruit tree; a group of souls is crying out at the foliage, and then leaving. A voice from the tree tells them to pass further on, for this tree is derived from the tree in the Garden of Eden. Examples of gluttony punished are being called out from the tree. As they move along, they suddenly hear a voice, which belongs to a shining red figure. The sixth P is erased from Danteís forehead.

The canto can be divided into four sections:

Forese and Dante discuss Piccarda, and Forese points out the souls on the terrace (1-34)
Dante speaks with Bonagiunta; the discussion of love poetry (35-63)
Forese and Dante conclude their conversation (64-99)
The second sweet-smelling tree; examples of gluttony punished; the erasure of the P (99-154).

The conversation between Bonagiunta and Dante is one of the most important discussions of poetry in the Commedia. More about this conversation and its implications can be found in the section on Poetry in the Purgatorio, in Major Themes.

Notice that the souls named by Forese seem quite happy to be named (26-7). This is an important contrast with the souls seen in Hell, who either withhold their identity, or else try and use their encounter with Dante to improve their reputation in the world. The souls named by Forese are utterly emaciated - Ubaldino is even gnashing the air with hunger - but they do not display any concern at being named. This can in part be seen as a renunciation of worldly fame, in keeping with Oderisi’s analysis in Purgatorio XI (remember that the souls in Purgatory pass through the terraces in the same order as Dante and Virgil do, so these souls would all have passed through the Terrace of Pride).

Towards the end of the canto, we see some souls who are presumably at an early stage of their purgation (100-114), who are begging for food. Dante compares them to small children, whose desires are being corrected. This recalls Marco Lombardo’s description of how the soul, like a child, at first runs towards all sorts of pleasures, but needs to be corrected in order to learn how to choose between its desires (XVI, 85-93).

Canto XXV

The three travellers climb towards the seventh terrace, and Dante asks how it is possible for the souls on the Terrace of Gluttony to become thin, when they have no physical need for food. Virgil asks Statius to explain. Statius describes the development of the human soul and foetus, and how the shades can experience pain and hunger. They arrive at the seventh terrace, the Terrace of Lust, where a fire is burning. Within the fire, the singing of a hymn can be heard, repeated; after each rendition of the hymn, examples of chastity are cried out.

The canto can be divided into two sections:

the climb, and the discussion of the development of the human soul and foetus (1-108)
the arrival on the Terrace of Lust, and the singing of the hymn.

Discussion point: body and soul

Notice that Statius gives a full account for how the souls in Hell and Purgatory can experience pain without their bodies. More about Statius’s account of bodies. We do not need to go into detail on the body to understand that Statius emphasises the unity of the body and the soul. Why do you think this is important in the Terrace of Lust?

Discussion point: intertextual references

Let us use this opportunity to linger over one of the intertextual references in this canto. At the end of the canto, Dante describes how the souls on the Terrace of Lust are singing a hymn in the fire - the Summa Deus clementiae (121). They stop singing the hymn, then cry out the words ‘virum non cognosco’. Then they sing the hymn again. Then they refer to Diana, Helice and Venus. Then they sing the hymn again. Then they call out the names of wives and husbands who were chaste (perhaps even their own wives and husbands - the text is ambiguous).

Three intertextual elements are related to each other here. First is the hymn; you can read the text of the hymn below. Second is the phrase ‘virum non cognosco’ - which refers to the Annunciation (more on this can be found in Canto X). Third is a story from Ovid: that of Callisto (whom Dante calls ‘Elice’). We are fortunate in that the poet Ted Hughes produced an excellent, and very readable translation of the relevant part of Ovid’s Metamorphoses in his Tales from Ovid. Read and listen to his translation of ‘Callisto and Arcas’ here, which is in any case worth enjoying for its own sake.

Think about the ways in which Dante draws a link between these three texts. By putting them together, he emphasises different aspects of each text, all of which are related to the setting on the Terrace of Lust. Notice, too, that Dante draws on three different types of text: one hymn, one biblical text, and one piece of Classical poetry. In spite of the differences between them, he draws them into a single narrative, and uses them to exemplify a single idea.

Here is the text of the ‘Summae Deus clementiae’:

Summae Deus clementiae, mundi factor machinae, unus potentialiter, trinusqur personaliter,
nostros pios cum canticis fletus benigne suscipe, quo corde puro sordibus te perfruamur largius.
Lumbos iecurque morbidum adure igne congruo, accincti ut sint perpeti, luxu remoto pessimo.
Ut quique horas noctium nunc concinendo rumpimus, donis beatae patriae ditemur omnes affatim.

[God of highest clemency, maker of the fabric of the world, one in power and triple in Persons,
Accept our pious weepings with our songs graciously, by which may we more fully enjoy you, pure heart cleansed of stains.
Our loins and liver, diseased, burn out with suited fire, so may they ever be girt up, all sinful lust put away.
As all of us interrupt the hours of night with singing, so with the riches of our blessed homeland may we all be enriched beyond desire.]

Canto XXVI

As the three travellers continue to progress through the Terrace of Lust, a shade interrupts them to ask Dante how it is that his body is casting a shadow. As Dante is about to answer, he notices a group of souls running to each other, kissing briefly, and shouting out examples of lust punished. Dante explains the circumstances of his journey, and asks the shade who he is. The shade explains that some of the souls were homosexuals, whereas others were heterosexuals. The shade reveals that his identity is the poet, Guido Guinizelli. In response to Dante’s praise of Guinizelli’s poetry, Guinizzelli points out Arnaut Daniel, whom he describes as a superior poet. Arnaut addresses Dante in Provençal.

The canto can be divided into two sections:

the discussion with Guinizelli, and the reciprocal greetings of the souls being purged (1-132)
the encounter with Arnaut Daniel (133-148).

Discussion point: lust in Purgatory

A distinction is made between homosexual lust and heterosexual lust in this canto. How do the two groups identify themselves? Think back to the Inferno - there, the two groups were punished in different circles, and for distinct sins (lust and sodomy); here, however, they are punished in the same terrace. This is because the importance is placed on the urge which leads to the sin, rather than the sin itself (recall that for Dante the two sins punished in the Inferno were offences of an entirely different order).

Discussion point: Arnaut Daniel and language

If you attempt to read the words of Arnaut Daniel in the original, perhaps using the help of the translation, you may find that you understand more than you had expected. Why do you think Dante included these words in their original Provençal form?

Discussion point: comparing lust in Purgatory and Hell

There are some important parallels and points of contrast here between the penitent lustful, and the lustful in Hell (Inferno V). Re-read Inferno V, and look at the points of similarity. Think particularly about the emphasis that is placed in Inferno V on greetings, on kisses, and on courtly love poetry. How are those elements -and any others you find in common between the two cantos - changed in Purgatorio XXVI?

Canto XXVII

An angel appears, and tells Dante, Statius and Virgil that their journey through Purgatory has ended; they must pass through the flame. Dante is terrified at the thought of burning, and Virgil tries to persuade him to trust him, and pass through the flame. Not succeeding, he tells Dante that the wall of fire lies between him and Beatrice. Virgil enters the fire, as does Statius; Dante enters the excruciating heat. A voice is singing on the other side, and they move towards it. As the sun sets, the three travellers settle down to sleep. Dante dreams that he sees Leah, making a garland. The travellers awake, and Dante is eager to continue on his way. Virgil crowns and mitres him.

The canto can be divided into three sections:

Dante, Virgil and Statius pass through the wall of fire (1-63)
the three characters settle down to sleep; Dante’s dream (64-123)
Virgil crowns and mitres Dante (124-142).

Discussion point: the wall of fire

This is a key canto, with a very important transition as Dante, Virgil and Statius pass through the wall of fire. Fire, as we have seen, was often associated with Purgatory (and Dante’s Purgatory is innovative in having so little fire in it). How does Dante convey the experience of the fire?

Discussion point: sleep

What imagery does Dante use to describe the three characters settling down to sleep? Why might this be significant?

Discussion point: Pyramus and Thisbe

There is a brief intertextual reference to Ovid’s Metamorphoses (as we saw in Canto XXV), this time to the story of Thisbe and Pyramus (37-42). Once again, Ted Hughes’s translation of this tale is a wonderful work of narrative poetry in its own right, and well worth reading, if you can gain access to a copy. This prose translation of Ovid is also useful.

What exactly is the moment when the mulberry turned crimson? Robert Durling says that the Purgatorio involves ‘a metaphorical reversal of the tale of Pyramus and Thisbe’. What might he mean by this? Which of the elements in Ovid’s tale (whether metaphors, images or events) are present in the Purgatorio (and in this canto in particular)? In what ways can the story of Pyramus and Thisbe be said to be reversed?