The other day, after taking a test on Dante’s Inferno, I was thinking about Dante’s other two famous works of The Divine Comedy, Purgatorio and Paradiso. I decided to look up articles that explain the 9 levels of each poem. For the sake of brevity, I will explain Purgatorio in this posting explain Paradiso in another post.
Purgatorio has a really interesting way of depicting Purgatory. The 9 levels are purgatory are split between the first two levels (the Ante-Purgatory reserves for people with stubbornness and for the repentful) and the next 7 levels which are reserved for sinners of the 7 deadly sins (Pride, Envy, Wrath, Sloth, Greed, Gluttony, and Lust in that order from lowest level to top most level). What I find interesting is that Dante, before he leaves the 2nd level of Ante Purgatory, he has an angel draw 7 Ps on his head. As he ventures through each level of purgatory, the Ps are removed from his head by angels. What’s funny is that some of the levels of purgatory seem to have a worse punishment than the hell counterparts of the same sins and if not worse then just as bad. For example, the Lustful are forced to run through a wall of fire while shouting out examples of chastity, the opposite of lust (by the way, each level seems to make a reference to the opposite of the sin the level represents). Another example is with the prideful. Although pride isn’t present in Dante’s Inferno as a circle, the punishment here does seem pretty hellish. They are forced to carry weights on their back hunched over which causes them pain. While they carry these weights, statues of humility, the opposite of pride, surround them. The people are in Limbo have it easier than some of these people in purgatory! However, it doesn’t last for eternity since they are in purgatory. In fact, something I found interesting was the way Dante handles a soul being ready to advance to heaven. When a soul is ready, a tremor (a slight earthquake) happens. When Dante escapes Purgatory he reaches the Earthly paradise which is at the peak of mount purgatory (it’s almost like a 10th level of purgatory similar to how hell has a pre-level with the neutrals). The state of the Earthly Paradise mimicks that of Earth during the time when Adam and Eve first came into existence, before original sin happened. This seems really interesting and I may give it a read one day! For more information on each level of purgatory, see the link below. If you are also interested in Paradiso, see the other link which explains the 9 spheres or see my other blogpost.
Source:
https://historylists.org/art/9-levels-of-purgatory-dantes-purgatorio.html
https://historylists.org/art/9-spheres-of-heaven-dantes-paradiso.html
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8 comments:
This is a very interesting point, Rico. I’m shocked that we havent brought this up as a class, or I myself haven’t thought of it! It really is an odd thought to wonder why Dante chose the punishments in that various arrangement as he did. One thought maybe to provide some conclusion would be that he thinks some sins ar worse therefore deserving a worse punishment, but in that case wouldn’t he have just put it in a lower circle of hell? If there is such a hierarchy to certain sins and the level of hell in which they go in, why should the punishments not follow that order? Bravo, Rico, bravo.
Hey I just got a dream this morning of a person in my building who recently expired..a month ago came kneeling and spoke about him being in the 7th stage purification process.
I didn't quite understand and googled it..and this is how I came to find your blog. Please offer prayers for his soul.
Praying
nice
I committed suicide in 2005. Its taken some time but I believe I am in Purgatory. What worse punishment is there than to place the dead among the living...
The rules of Purgatory are quite simple, what you do here decide where you go but no matter what good you do, there is no satisfaction reward. In fact you're given more strife and anguish as if to try to break you.
Since 2005 I've tried everything to bo good, help others, give more than I take and my 'life'has gotten progressively worse. I can tell I'm getting close to the end of my journey. I'm not afraid, in fact I'm ready for the next adventure. Its just a shame when we die, we don't take our memories with us. But I'm still excited.
Taking your life is a mortal sin . A sin against God . If you've made purgatory id be most inclined to do good an pray your soul can be spared .
I feel for you diving to a depth of taking your own life . Your pain/sorrow can be helped or could of .. I wish i could of talked to you ...
I imagined suicide like the movie source code... Just in a bubble watching everyone else live.
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