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Purgatorio
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Purgatorio
Dante Alighieri reveals his theology, beliefs, and ideals in his work Divine Comedy. Specifically, in Purgatorio, Dante expresses his view of the importance of love, a view that is not completely homogenous with Catholic doctrine. That view is that through divine grace, all Christians can acquire eternal happiness and immortal love from God regardless of how wicked they lived life, as long as they are repentant. Another aspect of Purgatorio exists in Dante's immersion in the ancient, heroic traditions: the entanglements of love, duty, and moral obligation. On the whole, Dante offers an excellent account of life in the Middle Ages, for Catholic dogma and the leadership of the Pope dominated Medieval existence. Throughout Purgatorio, Dante expresses several of his ideas about love: love of other humans and love from God. For example, the meeting with the spirit of Casella conveys a feeling of human warmth and love. This is the first of a series of encounters in Purgatorio displaying the everlasting power of friendship and human compassion. Another example of Dante's expression of love manifests on the second terrace, the terrace of envy. He displays love in the goads of envy - caritas, or love of fellow men: And my good master said: "The sin of envy/ Is scourged within this circle; thus the cords/ That form the scourging lash are plied by love. (XIII 37-39) Another example of Dante's expression of love exists in Canto XXX and XXXI. It is the...
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