Easy Breezy

Easy Breezy

Dante is an author of beautiful interpretation, certain theological authenticity, and influential writings. Dante is most well-known from the books Inferno, Purgatory, and Paradise. All of these books are written to show the representation of the afterlife of a christian. His version of Purgatory is not exactly a simple one, although it may seem like it is. One gets taken to the gates of Purgatory, enters, works their way up to heaven, and cleanses themselves from all of their sins on the way there, right? Wrong. There are so many details, complications, tough actions that need to be done, and difficult situations the people in Purgatory must go through in order to get to Heaven.

For example, Purgatory includes the Ante-Purgatory and seven terraces. The Ante-Purgatory is made up of those who were either excommunicated from the church or repented of their sins late. A man named Manfred told Dante that “It’s true that if you die intransigent against the Holy Church, you linger here, even if at your death you should repent, outside upon this margin thirty years for every year of your presumptuousness…”(Canto 3, Pg 33, Lines 136-140)   Some of these people have to wait outside of Purgatory, a few for a long period of time. They do not even get to start the climb until they have done their time.

After actually getting to start up the mountain, those sentenced to Purgatory start in the first terrace, The Proud. When entering this terrace, Dante and Virgil see crowds bent over, carrying large rock on their back. Dante writes that what he saw, “According to the heaviness in fact they were hunched over more or less by what they bore, and those who showed most patience in the act seemed to say, weeping, “I can bear no more.” (Canto 10, Pg 113, Lines 136-139) These people were sentenced to walking around with large rocks on their back until they were cleansed on that terrace.  This shows that Purgatory is not easy. Yes, those who are allowed to go through are lucky and have been given mercy. However, it is not a happy and relaxing place to have to dwell in.

Another instance of the difficulties of going through Purgatory are found in the sixth terrace, The Gluttonous. When Dante and Virgil arrive, they do not know exactly what was happening in this terrace. Their first clue may have been when they were walking close to a tree and hear a “...voice that cried,”You shall be sparing of this precious food.” (Canto 22, Pg 243, Line 141) As they kept walking, Dante heard singing. He says that “Each shade was dark and hollow in the eye, pale in the face, and worn away so thin the flesh assumed the contours of the bones. (Canto 23, Pg.247, Lines 21-24) The people he saw were starving. They were so skinny, their flesh looked like bones and because they are dead, there is no escape until they complete their punishment.

The final terrace and the last stop before paradise is the terrace of The Lustful. As Dante and Virgil are walking, they come upon a wall of flames. Although Virgil advises Dante to not look at the wall of flames,but he does it anyway. When he looks at the fire he says, ‘And in this manner I believe they stood the whole time they were searing in the fire, fro only by this suffering and this food can the last wound of all be sewn, and healed.” (Canto 25, Pg 277, Lines 136-139) This entire terrace is about fire. Virgil tells Dante to walk into the fire. When Dante does it, he explains that “The balzes there inside did so surpass all measure, that to feel cool again I’d have flung myself into boiling glass.” (Canto 27, Pg. 291, Lines 48-50) One of the most difficult parts of the seventh terrace is not only the fact of all the fire, but knowing that you are at the last step before Paradise, but still having to wait would be hard. The Lustful are literally one step away from Paradise, but cannot reach it until they have done their time.

Purgatory is a difficult place. Even though their can be no death in Purgatory, there is still torture. There is pain and struggle. Although one is getting a second chance at redemption, it is a torturous place. However, Purgatory is a blessing. When you finally go through all of the terraces and reach the top of the mountain, you are at Paradise. Therefore, Purgatory is a horrible place, it is disguised as an amazing thing and was created for an incredible and merciful reason.