Thursday, October 7, 2010
The Purgatorio and Paradiso
Since we only read one of the three canticas of Dante's The Divine Comedy, I have been curious as to what happens in the Purgatorio and Paradiso. Therefore, I decided to research these canticas. I learned that the primary difference between the Inferno and Purgatorio is that the sins of souls in the latter realm are products of thoughts, motives, and intentions, rather than actual actions. In Paradiso, however, Dante explores the four cardinal virtues and three theological virtues. Here, the Pilgrim encounters numerous righteous saints, including Thomas Aquinas, St. Peter, and St. John.
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Does anybody else find it interesting that detainment in Purgatorio is based on sinful thoughts? I am reminded of the Neo-Platonist concept that rejection of the corporeal brings one closer to the spiritual ideal. The sinners in Hell all manually undertook criminal, sinful deeds; however, the inhabitants of Purgatory didn't stoop as low as to actually physically perform the crimes they conceived of. Since their crimes are reserved to the realm of one's own mind and soul, they are closer to God and therefore less severe.
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