dante final

Cato

(Canto I)- Purg

• Was a Roman political figure who sacrificed himself so he wouldn’t betray Rome 

• Acts as guard to the gates of purg 

• Stops dante and virgil, virgil tells him they are on a blessed mission 

• Symbolizes respect for pagans/pagan Jesus

Casella

(Canto II)-Ante-purgatorio

-Friend of Dante, Casella was a singer and composer from Florence (or perhaps the nearby town of Pistoia).

-comes up to dante, dante recognizes him by voice, dante asks him to sing a song, to which he sings a love poem that dante wrote 

-represents the distractedness of people on their journey to purgatory-Souls who procrastinated repentance in life must wait outside Purgatory proper for a period equal to the time they delayed repentance

-reflects their lingering attachment to worldly laziness, desires, and lack of urgency in seeking salvation

Manfred

(Canto III)- ante Purg (excom)

• Attractive blond (Dante’s gay for him) 

• Represents Excommunicated people who can be saved

• They have to wait 30x the years they were excommunicated outside the gates of purg proper

• Shows Dante is willing to go against church doctrine and that the papacy isnt always right

Buonconte da Montefeltro

In Purgatorio (Canto V)-ante-purgatory-ppl that died violent deaths but pray for forgiveness/repent at last second

(Ghibelline knight d. 1289), asking for dante to share his story, dante knows this guy, was at the battle of Campaldino (fought for the florentine guelphs) and was one of the lead knights, guido’s son

-as he dies, devil comes but says “mary” at last second

- his body was washed away by a devil but that didn’t matter because his soul was saved

Sordello

Sordello: (Canto VI) ante Purg

• a troubadour poet who is from the same place as Virgil

• They ask the way to go and Sordello tells them they cannot travel at night, explains ante purg structure

• Represents shared identity and the potential for unity, highlighting Italy's political fragmentation.

Marco Lombardo

(Canto XVI)-wrathful/meekness

-a nobleman from Lombardy known for his wisdom and moral insight, who appears in Purgatorio to discuss free will, the corruption of society, and the need for just laws. He serves as a voice of reason, emphasizing that human beings—not the stars—are responsible for their own moral choices.

-marco shows the direction they need to take and explains that living people ignore free will, attributing faults to the heavens, meaning the cause of malice in the world is through those living on it

-He symbolizes moral clarity and human free will, explaining that humans are responsible for their actions despite external influences (divine)

-He critiques societal corruption and poor leadership, emphasizing the need for laws and virtuous rulers to guide humanity toward higher love.

Statius

(Canto XXI) Purg avarice/prodigality

• Companion of Dante through purg and paradise

• Roman poet who opens with gushing over virgil

• Hes been in purg for at least 1000 years 

• Statius symbolizes spiritual transformation and redemption, as he reveals his journey from sin to salvation.

• He represents the influence of literature and art in guiding moral growth, crediting Virgil's Aeneid for inspiring his conversion to Christianity.

Forese Donati

(Canto XXIII)- Gluttony/Temperance

-In crowd of glutinous, emaciated souls and his voice is recognized by dante (prominent florentine and friend of dante)

-he would have been in ante-purgatory, but his wife prayed for him to ascend

-symbolizes repentance and the transformative power of prayer, as his wife's prayers helped him ascend quickly through Purgatory.

-He represents friendship and shared past sins, reflecting on his youthful indulgence alongside Dante with sorrow and humility

Bonagiunta

 (Canto XXIV) Purg (gluttoney)

• poet of the Sicilian school

• Dante and Bonagiunta have an important discussion about love poetry

  • Bonagiunta lived before Dante and had conservative ideas about love poems, ie he didnt want them to change

  • Disapproved of the love poems that included themes of theology and philosophy, ie the type that led to Dante writing the comedy

  • After their discussion on love poetry, Bonagiunta sees Dante as the change that is needed to move italian poetry into a more influential and fulfilling path

Guido Giunizelli

(Canto XXVI)- Lust/ Chastity

-He asks dante why his body isn’t casing a shadow, dante asks who he is-guido explains that some of the lustful are gay and some straight

-Guido Guinizzelli was a 13th-century Italian poet celebrated as the founder of the dolce still novo, a poetic movement emphasizing refined and spiritual love. In Dante's Purgatorio, he appears among the lustful, symbolizing the complexity of human nature and the enduring legacy of his poetic contributions.

-He represents the idea of love as a transformative force, linking earthly passions to divine love

Matelda

(Canto XXVIII) (garden of eden restored)

• First appears here picking flowers but is not named until later

• She introduces dante to eden and explains the stream here

• Later, she will help dante and statius cross through the stream of forgetfulness where dante will forget his sins after he has been forgiven for them

• She symbolizes a rebirth or baptism, like a st john

Piccarda

-Paradiso The Heaven of the Moon-(Canto III)-Those that failed to fulfill religious vows because of external forces

-She was a nun abducted from her convent and forced into marriage, breaking her vow of chastity. she shoud have chosen to be a martyr instead

-Piccarda represents the virtue of submission to divine will and the joy of accepting one's place in God's order, even at a lower level of Heaven

-Piccarda also represents that God judges based on merit, not actions. she broke her vow, but had a good heart and didn’t want to

Justinian

(Canto VI) Paradiso (Mercury- Ambitious)

• Roman emperor

• Tells the story of rome

• Dante had a lot of respect for him and saw him as a great emperor

• Justinian, the Byzantine emperor, symbolizes the ideal of justice and the importance of law in promoting societal order and divine harmony.

• He recounts his role in codifying Roman law and reflects on how earthly achievements can align with divine will when pursued virtuously.

• Interaction with Dante:

• Justinian explains the historical significance of his reforms and their connection to divine justice.

• He emphasizes the importance of aligning human actions with God's greater plan, offering Dante insight into the relationship between earthly governance and spiritual truth

St. Aquinas

-Paradiso Heaven of the sun (Canto X) divine wisdom and the harmony of creation.

-In the Heaven of the Sun we see dancing side by side figures who on earth had bitterly argued against each other: Thomas Aquinas and Sigier of Brabant,

Saint Thomas Aquinas' Representation:

Aquinas symbolizes reason and theological insight, embodying the unity of faith and intellect.

He introduces Dante to twelve wise souls, including himself, who represent intellectual harmony and spiritual enlightenment.

Interaction with Dante:

Aquinas explains the divine order and praises the unity of love and knowledge in God's creation.

The encounter emphasizes intellectual tolerance and the importance of gratitude for divine wisdom.

St. Bonaventure

 (Canto XII) Paradisio - Sun (wisdom)

• Fransiscan (order of St. Francis) 

• Tells the story of st dominic

• Serves to further introduce the idea of chiasmus (a rhetorical or literary figure in which words, grammatical constructions, or concepts are repeated in reverse order)

• St dom and st fran were often pitted against each other, here in heaven they are friends as they serve the same purpose: God 

• His interaction with Dante highlights the theme of harmony in Heaven, where earthly rivalries are transcended in divine love and unity 

Cacciaguida

-Paradiso Mars (Canto XV) Represents courage and devotion to God, where souls of warriors who fought for the faith reside.

-Dante's great-great-grandfather, a knight who died during the Second Crusade.

Representation: Symbolizes ancestral pride, moral integrity, and the ideal of a virtuous Florence before its decline.

-Interaction with Dante Canto XV: Cacciaguida joyfully greets Dante, recounts their family lineage, and describes Florence's virtuous past, Canto XVI: He laments Florence's moral and political corruption, contrasting it with the city's simpler, more virtuous history, Canto XVII: Cacciaguida foretells Dante's exile in plain terms, offering comfort by emphasizing divine providence and urging him to fulfill his poetic mission without fear.

Mary

(Canto XXII) Paradisio-The Empyrean

• Role: Mary is the highest among the blessed souls in the celestial rose, representing divine grace, intercession, and the bridge between humanity and God.

• Symbolism: She embodies purity, maternal love, and the ultimate model of submission to God's will.

• Interaction with Dante

• Mary intercedes on Dante's behalf, allowing him to ascend to his final vision of God.

• Her role emphasizes her importance as a mediator in Christian theology, enabling Dante to experience divine revelation and complete his journey.

• Originally aided dante with his quest along with beatrice and lucy

God

Canto XXXII - XXXIII

-Role: God is the ultimate source of light, love, and creation, representing absolute truth, unity, and divine will.

-Symbolism: God is depicted as an infinite point of light surrounded by angelic choirs and the celestial rose, embodying the perfection and mystery of divinity.

-In Canto XXXIII, Dante experiences his final vision of God after Mary intercedes on his behalf, Dante perceives God as a triune light (the Holy Trinity) and glimpses the unity of all creation within God's essence. Overwhelmed by the vision, Dante's will aligns perfectly with divine love, concluding his spiritual journey with the famous line about "the Love that moves the sun and other stars."