There are 33 cantos in the Purgatorio, so I’ll post the recap in three sections of 11 cantos each. Here’s the first 11 chapters.

Canto I 
Dante starts off by saying his little ship of ingenuity would raise its sails to run through better waters, leaving such the cruel sea of hell behind. Now he enters the second realm where the human spirit purifies itself and becomes worthy to ascend to heaven. He tells his poetry to rise up from the subject of the dead, and invokes the holy Muses, particularly Calliope, and mentions a story of the daughters of the king of Thessaly, who challenged Calliope, muse of epic poetry, to a singing contest. Of course Calliope wins, but in retribution for their presumption, she turns the daughters into magpies and references the moment when the daughters knew they were beaten by hearing Calliope herself sing. Dante hopes his poetry would rise up to the level of providing that kind of impact to the reader.  

He mentions that the sapphire blue color of the eastern sky came as a delight to his eyes again, after having emerged from the pitch-black tunnel up out of hell. Venus was brightening the sky, and as he turns to the south, he sees four stars that had not been seen since Adam and Eve were in the garden of Eden. The four stars are metaphorically the four virtues: prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance. 

One commentary on this is that the northern hemisphere has been widowed and deprived of their sight. The realm of purgatory offers sinners the opportunity to work towards freedom. Interestingly enough, purgatory, as an official doctrine of the Catholic church, dates only to 1274 at the Second Council of Lyon. Dante himself is writing less than fifty years after that, so he treads on essentially completely new ground. The idea of purgatory may be inferred from a few places in the bible, but it is never mentioned specifically. 

Then they run across Cato of Utica, who questions how they managed to escape hell. 

Cato the Younger, as he is known, was an influential senator in the late Roman Republic. Interestingly enough, two conspirators against Caesar, Brutus and Cassius, are reserved for two of the three worst positions in Hell. While Cato, also a conspirator, is here in Purgatory. Also, Cato committed suicide, which was among the sins punished in the seventh circle of hell. But the difference would be that Cato was also a supreme Roman patriot. Even his suicide was an honorable escape for patriotic reasons. His opposition to Caesar was done in defense of the Roman republic, and he had stood many times against powerful generals who wanted to undo the republic. For these reasons, Dante has placed him here, rather than in hell. 

Virgil tells him that Dante was at the point of being lost in life when Beatrice contacted him (Virgil), and sent him to rescue Dante. But the way of salvation was first through hell, and now up through purgatory. Virgil tells Cato that Dante seeks freedom, which he, Cato, knows is dear, since he too lost his life for the cause of liberty. But just so Cato knows, the heavenly edicts have not been broken of the dead rising from hell, since Dante has not yet died; nor is he (Virgil) in violation either since he was in limbo, not hell proper. He then states that he lives there were Cato’s wife Martia lives, and that he, Virgil, would gladly take news of Cato’s favor upon Virgil and Dante back to her. 

Cato says while he once would have done anything for Martia, he is no longer moved by her desires, since she is in hell. But, if Beatrice from heaven wills their journey, then he would certainly help. 

This interaction between Virgil and Cato signals a real difference between hell and purgatory. While the souls here are being purged of their sins, they are still saved. Virgil is not. This is not his realm and he has not been here before. He attempts a human connection as part of negotiation, but is immediately told that has no power here.  

Cato tells Virgil to take him down to the shore and get a reed to wrap around Dante’s waist, and to wash his face, since it would not be fitting to have some of the grime of the sin of hell still clinging to Dante when they appear before the angel guardian. The reed would be a symbol of humility since it is pliable, but strong.  

Then Cato vanishes, and Virgil leads Dante down to the shore, picks out a reed, and washes Dante’s face with the dew that was still on the plants. 

They are at the shore when Dante notices that another reed had sprung into place where Virgil had plucked up the one that he girded around Dante. 

Here the canto ends. 

There is a cool rhyme over the last two terzinas that recalls the difference between Ulysses’ attempt to gain this mountain on his own, and Dante’s arrival here by Divine will. 

navicar sue acque     (navigate her waters) 
com’altrui piacque    (as Another pleased) 
cotal si rinacque        (such a one is reborn) 

Canto II 
Canto 2 starts off with a confusing scheme for telling time, which apparently will be really important throughout Purgatorio. “The sun had reached the horizon where the meridian circle covers Jerusalem”: so the meridian circle is the imaginary circle that runs around the circumference of the sphere. If that circle was at Jerusalem, which is considered the most important point in Dante’s scheme, since it was where Jesus was crucified, then the sun being at the horizon would mean it was setting in Jerusalem, and therefore dawn where our travelers are in purgatory, which, if you remember, is directly opposite Jerusalem. Dante confirms this by telling us night is rising out of the Ganges, which is another point meant to denote east of Jerusalem. Noting that the “Scales” (the constellation Libra) are being dropped from night’s hand when she surpasses, is to be understood that as the night is now longer than the day, the autumnal equinox has just been passed. Like I said, it’s a really elaborate way, utilizing the constellations, to tell us that it’s basically around 6am. Anyway…. Dante sees some lights coming in the west over the ocean, and little by little, it becomes clear that the lights are the wings of the angel piloting the boat bringing recently deceased spirits to the shores of mount purgatory. 

Virgil yells out for Dante to fall on his knees and fold his hands for Dante will now see the angel of God who can travel between such distant shores merely with his wings. He comes ashore and more than a hundred spirits jump out on to the land, at which point the boat turns around and heads back for more. The new arrivals, not knowing what to do, see Dante and Virgil and ask if they can point them in the right direction. Virgil says he and Dante are pilgrims just like them, and only recently arrived themselves, though through a much more arduous route. The group of spirits then notice that Dante himself is still alive and gather around him. Then one, Casella, a fellow singer and poet, recognizes Dante as a friend. Dante asks how has so much time been taken from him? I assumed this means Dante feels he has died “before his time”, but I was mistaken. Casella had apparently passed some three months ago, and Dante was asking what took him so long to get to the shores of purgatory. Even Casella’s initial response would seem to confirm my original understanding, when he assures Dante no wrong was done to him. I would have thought he was telling Dante, ‘I wasn’t murdered or anything like that’, but while Casella never divulges the reason why, he simply says that he was denied entrance to the boat three times, which I think means he accepts that the angel did him no wrong in making him wait, but Casella himself accepts that the angel can choose as he wills since his choice is righteous. The three months wait may be reference to a papal bull granting some sort of absolution since it was the year of the Jubilee. At any rate, something caused Casello to have to wait three months before he would be accepted on the boat, but here he is. 

There is an odd bit too where those waiting to go to mount purgatory gather at the mouth of the Tiber river. 

Anyway, Dante asks Casello if, since Dante is exhausted from the journey up from hell, he would sing some lines from some of his love poetry, which used to comfort Dante so much while still in the world. Casello launches off into a song and everyone gathers to listen… when Cato shows up and says “What are you DOING??!! What negligence!! why are you standing around here??? RUN to the mountain and get these obstacles that are keeping the Lord from being made known to you stripped off!!”  

At that point, everyone beats it outta there, running towards the coast to gird themselves with the reeds.  

Canto III 
Ante-purgatory: the excommunicated 
Canto 3 starts where canto 2 left off, with the new arrivals scattering quickly while Dante holds tight to Virgil. Virgil has been stung by Cato’s rebuke, but after initially starting off in a rush, like the others, he slows down to a more dignified pace. At this point, Dante is a head a little bit, and notices that there is only one shadow, his own. He panics and thinks maybe he has outrun Virgil, and when he turns around, Virgil comforts him and explains that 1) he will not abandon Dante, and 2) his own body is buried now at Naples, having been removed from Brindisi. So this spiritual body that he has right now will not cast any shadow, just like light passes right through the bodies in heaven. Then he answers a question that probably many have been wondering about: how is it that bodies can be tortured in hell, and purified here by physical punishments? Did I say he answers it? Not really. He says it’s beyond human comprehension to understand what kind of bodies are assigned to this state and its foolish to think that man could traverse such infinite ways as could hold contain the trinity. Then Virgil mentions that if man were able to grasp such things, it wouldn’t have been necessary for Mary to have given birth to Jesus. The implication here is that man, in his fallen state, no longer has access to God, and man’s own mind has been corrupted. Jesus came to restore the path to God, and though salvation doesn’t immediately restore the ability to understand such things, perhaps in our restoration to the fullness of glory, it will. 

But Virgil laments that Dante has already seen such (Aristotle and Plato), that desired to understand such things, but without reaching it. The could have been satisfied, but now they suffer eternal grief in Limbo, knowing that they will never reach it. Then Virgil is overcome by grief and can’t go on. 

They come to the foot of the mountain and meet so steep a cliff, that they could not scale up it. Virgil is looking down and trying to figure out a way up, and Dante, looking up, notices a group of people proceeding so slowly, that it seemed they weren’t even moving. Dante lets Virgil know there is a group approaching and may the group could advise them how to best begin the ascent. 

Virgil approaches them and asks how ascent would be possible. But the group is excessively shy. Dante likens them to sheep that are timid and will only act in concert with others without knowing why. 

One does approach them, but the group notices that Dante is casting a shadow on the wall, which causes them to draw back. 

Virgil then explains that yes, Dante is still human, and not dead yet, but that the group need not be afraid of him and Dante, since they could only be here by Divine will. The leader of the group then signals for Virgil and Dante to enter in before them. 

Then one calls out to Dante and asks if Dante recognizes him? Dante looks but can’t place him. He declares he is Manfred (King of Sicily), and asks, since Dante is still alive and will return to the world, to approach Constance, Manfred’s daughter and the Queen of Sicily and Aragon, and tell her the truth. 

Manfred then recounts that after being mortally struck in battle, he repented of his gross sins and was saved. The pastor (Archbishop) of Cosenza, (perhaps Tommaso d’Agni), had been sent by Pope Clement IV against him, and if the Archbishop could have recognized the repentance on his dying face, he would have let Manfred’s body remain near Benevento, rightly buried, rather than carried outside the kingdom in a procession with the lamps extinguished (the sign of one who was excommunicated) and left exposed. 

Manfred then explains that excommunication doesn’t remove one’s salvation, as long as there is repentance, but that one who dies under the church’s curse, will remain outside the margins of Purgatory thirty times the length of his curse… unless that time is reduced through the prayers of saints still left on earth. So Manfred would like Dante to approach his daughter Constance and ask for her prayers to lessen the time.  

Canto IV 
Ante-purgatory: the negligent 
This is a confusing and complicated canto, perhaps meant to be so by Dante as analogous to the difficult climb up. It starts off with 12 lines debunking the Platonic theory of three souls. 

Dante explains that when you are so locked in to a subject, you tend to forget everything else, and you even forget time. This would contradict the theory that there are three souls, because when so engrossed, you forget everything else. Therefore the soul must be unified. Ok. 

He mentions this because he himself was so engrossed in listening to Manfred that he lost track of the time and the sun had climbed 50 degrees in the sky. But as they were walking along, the group of excommunicates point out to Virgil and Dante that they have reached the place Virgil asked about: where can they ascend the mountain? Of note is the fact that here, the souls actually help the travelers with no bargaining or strong arming needed. They didn’t need to go out of their way, but they do. This is a much different experience than in hell.  

Dante explains, using several difficult to reach Italian sites, that the ascent up this mountain was much harder than that. Dante is of course exhausted, but he is exhorted on by Virgil. As they reach up to a ledge, Dante turns to survey how far they’ve come. And here, from lines 38-85, Dante goes on a very confusing and complicated explanation of the Sun and various constellations to demonstrate the time.  

As Dante and Virgil are looking to the east, the sun is hitting them on the left side, or, from the north. Which it would only do in the southern hemisphere. Virgil then says that if Castor and Pollix (the twins that make up the Gemini constellation), were with that mirror (the sun) that conducts its light up and down (the sun rises and sets), then Dante could see the ruby Zodiac (the sun with those constellations) veering even closer to the Bears (the constellations Ursa Major and Minor).  

Right now they would be in Aries, but a few months later would be at the summer solstice with Gemini. 

Then Virgil explains that Dante should imagine both Jerusalem and Mount Purgatory on the earth, with their positions related such that they would both have the same exact horizon, and yet be on opposite hemispheres. Clearly this means they’re antipodes, on exact opposite sides of the earth. 

Dante responds that he’s never had a clearer sense of it than now, and then proceeds to add more “knowledge” to the situation by invoking the medieval concept of the universe as a giant revolving sphere (the celestial movement) which has a circumference mid-way that astronomers call the equator, and the equator always separates summer and winter, moving northward in the southern hemisphere and southward in the northern hemisphere. Well, thanks Dante! 

But moving on from that riveting topic, he asks, like many of us did as children on long road trips, “how much further ’til we get there?” Virgil lets him know that this mountain, unlike most mountains, is hardest at first, and then gets easier, until finally, it’ll feel like you’re sitting in a canoe moving downstream. And this, Virgil says, he knows fo’ sho’.  

At this point, someone says: Maybe you’ll have to sit down before you reach that point. Now Virgil and Dante didn’t know there was anyone else there, so they look around a rock and notice a group of souls resting in the shade. The picture is of a bunch of lazy, shiftless bums loitering here. So Dante comments that one of them looks like laziness could be his sister. He replies that if Dante is so valiant, then head up the mountain by all means. Dante then says he recognizes him as “Belacqua”. There are some guesses as to who Belacqua might be, but others see him as a fictionalized character. Belacqua asks a lazy question and Dante asks him why he is still just sitting here? Is he waiting for someone or just still lazy? Belacqua says it’s pointless for him to proceed since he can’t enter yet. Apparently, having waited for as long as he could before repenting in life, he now has to wait outside purgatory the same amount of time before he can start his penance. Unless… the prayers of those still covered by grace help him out.  

Virgil has heard enough though and starts back up the mountain because…. the sun has touched the meridian and it’s already sunset in Morocco. Yep. Time to get going then.  

Canto V 
Ante-purgatory: the late repentant, who died by violence 
Dante is moving on, following Virgil, when someone else notices that he is not casting a shadow. Dante apparently stops and is chastised by Virgil for holding up his progress simply because the souls there are noticing this. Virgil tells Dante to be like a strong tower, not swayed by any wind that blows. Virgil says that those who are constantly thinking one thing then another are also swayed by whatever the latest thought is, so that they lose their original goal. Dante takes it to heart and keeps moving. 

But the two travelers meet another group that are singing a hymn called the ‘Miserere’ verse by verse. 

They too realize he casts no shadow and send two of their rank to inquire. Virgil lets them know that he is indeed still alive, and that Dante may be of some assistance to them. The messengers return and very quickly they all rush forward to see Dante. Virgil tells Dante to talk with them, but do so while he continues on. The group asks him to hold up a little, and they each of their number were killed violently, but repented at the last moments of their lives. They implore Dante to look them over, see if he knows any, and give them some news of the world of the living. Dante says he recognizes no one but swears he will do what he can.  

The first to speak doesn’t identify himself, but the details can be traced to Jacopo del Cassero. He asks Dante to have those in his hometown of Fano pray for him that he might purge his many offenses. He tells how he was persecuted by Azzo VIII d’Este, and killed as he fled. He says he was killed in the “bosom of the Antenori”, which would be Padova, which, according to the legends, was founded by the Trojan Antenor. 

The second to speak identifies himself as Bonconte of Montefeltro (the family, not the town). He says Giovanna and the others don’t care for him, by which he probably means his wife, Giovanna, and a surviving son and daughter, would not be praying for him, so he walks here in Purgatory with his head down. 

Dante asks Buonconte what deliberate force or blind chance pulled him so far from Campaldino that his burial place is unknown? Campaldino was the battlefield where he died, on the plain in Casentino between the towns of Poppi and Bibbiena. 

Buonconte relates that there is river called the Archiano that runs there, with a source above the Hermitage, which is a monastery in the hills. He then says that were the name becomes ‘vain’ or useless, meaning where the stream joins the Arno, he was stabbed in the throat. Buonconte flees the battle on foot, but bleeding out. He loses his sight and voice, but calling on the name of Mary before he dies, he fell. An angel of God comes to take his eternal soul, but a demon challenges the angel by asking if Buonconte gets to go to heaven for having shed one little tear in his dying moment? But since that is indeed the case, the demon threatens to do something drastic with the dead body. So the demon summons the weather into a storm, then pours down such rain on the valley from Pratomagno, the mountain ridge on the south, to the ‘great yoke’ (the main ridge of the Apennines), that the valley quickly fills with water and the flash flood overwhelms everything, carrying the dead body down with it, until it is trapped and buried in the debris downstream in the Arno. 

Then a third voice, Pia, asks Dante to remember her after he has returned and rested. She was born in Siena, but apparently murdered by her husband in the Maremma.  

This canto answers a question about the kind of person taken in salvation. If we contrast this with the soldier, Guido da Montefeltro, who had decided to repent of his earlier warrior deeds and life, and take orders as a monk. But he was pulled back into sin by Pope Boniface, who had even promised Guido absolution if he helped him, and tacitly threatened excommunication if he didn’t. Guido gives him the evil advice to ensnare the Pope’s enemy, and then at death, the demon disputes Guido’s soul and argues logically that one can’t “repent” and yet willingly choose sin.  

Despite Guido’s efforts and the Pope’s promises, they held no sway. While in this canto, even if at the last moment, we see the truly repentant are saved.  

Canto VI 
Ante-purgatory: the lone soul, Sordello 
Dante starts off with a simile about how, after a game of dice, the loser stays behind replaying in his mind how he might have done things differently, while the rest head off with the winner. One guy goes in front of the winner, another claps his arm around him, another tries to get him to the side to ask the winner if he would remember him well. They’re all hoping he’ll throw a little coin his way. But the winner keeps on his way, listening to all around him… and giving a few coins away so that they’ll back off, and in so doing, he keeps the crowd at bay. Well…. in that same way, Dante, having been pressed in by the crowd of the negligent wanting Dante to return to their loved ones and ask them to pray, he makes some promises and then gets free.  

He names a few of those he spoke to, but they won’t mean much to us today. But once free, he questions Virgil about something Virgil once wrote: that the prayers of the dead won’t change the decrees of God. But if this is true, then the requests of that crowd they just left would be in vain. Or, Dante asks, is he unclear about what Virgil wanted? 

Virgil says that his writing is clear enough, but the requests of these in purgatory are also valid. If one considers it rightly, God’s justice in making these wait isn’t undone, because the prayers of the living satisfy the requirements demanded by the souls wait. 

Virgil continues that from when he was writing, prayers weren’t directed towards the true God, so they could have no such effect. But Virgil also encourages Dante not to let go of such a deep question until Beatrice, who will be a light between truth and intellect, explains it all to him. 

Virgil says that Dante will meet her at the top of Mount Purgatory.  

Upon hearing this bit of knowledge, Dante is ready to go, and notes that they’re already burning daylight. Virgil says they’ll go as far as they can today, but the fact that they won’t get up the entire mountain today is different than what he believes. 

Then Virgil notes a solitary soul in the distance that will show them the way forward.  

This solitary soul seems completely unaffected by the passing of Virgil and Dante until Virgil approaches him and asks him the quickest way up. Apparently, the soul must have recognized Virgil’s accent, and asks where he is from. When Virgil mentions Mantua, the soul rises up and exclaims that he too is from Mantua, and hugs Virgil. This love of country stirs Dante to weigh in on the sorry state of Italy.  

It should be mentioned that the sixth canto of each poem is dedicated to politics. In Inferno, Dante discusses Florentine politics, in Purgatorio, he discusses Italian politics, and in Paradiso, it will be ‘world’ (European) politics.  

He launches off by calling Italy a servant girl, an inn of grief, a ship without a captain, no lady over the nations, but a lady in a brothel. Dante contrasts the patriotism of Sordello with the inhabitants of the cities of Italy, who are always at war, who gnaw away at each other, even those of the same city. 

He charges Italy to search her coasts, and then the interior to see if there is any peace anywhere. 

Then he uses a horse metaphor, asking what the point of Justinian resetting the bit (codifying the ancient Roman law), if the saddle is empty? (there is no leader over the land). Then he says it would have been less shameful if there was no law, since as it is, they have this ancient venerable law, but no one follows it.  

Then he switches to the Church- those who should be devout, and says they should let Caesar sit in the saddle and leave ruling lands to the secular, while the church focuses on the spiritual, as the scripture teaches. 

Then Dante moves to Albert of the Hapsburg family, Holy Roman Emperor, but German, and as such, more concerned with Germany than with Italy, which he has basically ignored. For this, Dante speaks of a just judgment that would come over his family for abandoning their duty towards Italy. 

Dante references several families: the Montecchi and Cappelletti (the famous Montagues and Capulets of Romeo and Juliet); He mentions the Monaldi and Filippeschi parties in Orvieto, and then calls him to come down and see the oppressed state of the nobles, particularly dire is the state of the once prosperous Aldobrandeschi family lands, called Santafiora. 

Dante mentions the sad state of Rome, left alone with no true ruler. He calls the Emperor to come down and see if the sad state of affairs in Italy doesn’t move him to pity, or if nothing else, at least concern for his own name and the shame that lands under his care left undone would engender. 

Dante then questions God to ask if maybe there is some grander plan for a greater good that would arise from this state, something beyond their understanding. 

Then he levels some sarcasm at Florence by saying of course they need not concern themselves with his digression thanks to the efforts of its people. Lots of people know what justice is, but they’re afraid to shoot their arrows without getting counsel first… meaning they aren’t sure if doing the right thing will get them in trouble. But at least they can state what would be just! 

Other people elsewhere don’t want to get involved in politics, but in Florence, they don’t even have to be asked, they’ll say “Load me up!” 

He tells Florence to be happy because they’re rich, live in peace, and have understanding. These are the plain facts. Even the ancient Athenians and Lacedaemons, who first codified laws, and who were so civilized, had nothing on the current Florentines, who apply such refined measures that what they’ve produced in October has already run out by mid-November!  

How many times have they changed laws, currency, offices, customs and even replaced citizens?? 

If they’d just see the light, they would see they’re like the sick lady who could find no rest on her feather bed, but just kept turning over trying to avoid the pain. 

Canto VII 
Ante-purgatory: the late repenters- Princes preoccupied with cares of state. 
After Dante’s diatribe against Italian politics, we return to the narrative. Sordello is so happy to see Virgil that they repeat the happy greetings three or four times. Then Sordello thinks to ask who they even are. Virgil replies that he had lived and died prior to Jesus, in the time of the emperor Octavian, so that even though he wasn’t particularly sinful, he had not confessed Jesus as Lord, so he was not allowed entrance to heaven. Sordello is stunned but finally asks how they came there. Virgil mentions that he was moved by heaven to come there, and they’ve come through all the circles of Hell. Then he asks Sordello to tell him the quickest way to the entrance of Purgatory proper is. 

Sordello says they can’t ascend at night, but he would take them to a place where they could rest comfortably until morning. 

Virgil asks about this: you can’t ascend during the night. Sordello says you can move around or down, but not up. Virgil asks why this is: are you blocked by someone, or do you just lack the power to do so? Sordello says the darkness itself seems to block the will with inability. 

So they move to a sort of hollowed out spot in the mountain side where a group are hunkered down to spend the night. They are singing the hymn Salve Regina. Dante describes the place being of brilliant colors. When they arrive at a ledge above the group, Sordello asks Virgil and Dante not to request to be among them, but they would be able to note who they were from the ledge. 

Now starts the fun part of identifying the historically (a generation prior to Dante) relevant characters. 

The first pointed out, seated above the others, is one who has the look of a man who has neglected his duty, and who isn’t singing along. This is Rudolf I of Germany, who never came to Italy despite it being one of his claimed lands. Dante says he could have healed Italy from the wounds that killed her, but he didn’t, and now it’s too late for others even to revive Italy. 

There is another comforting him, Ottokar II, King of Bohemia. Dante says that even as a swaddling babe, he was a better person and king that his son Wenceslaus II, when his son was full grown. 

Then Sordello points out a guy with a small nose, Philip III of France, in close counsel with another guy who has a benign look, Henry I of Navarre. Philip “died fleeing and pulling petals from the lily”. Philip pulled an ill-advised invasion of Aragon, and was beaten. While withdrawing, dysentery hit his camp, he contracted it, and died. The phrase I translated as ‘pulling petals from the lily’ is literally ‘deflowering the lily’ in Italian. But rendering it that way in English sounds like he took some maiden named Lily’s virginity. 

Dante goes through a list of other political figures at the time, making mention that justice and moral courage are rarely imparted to subsequent generations. This would have been a smear on the family lines of noble houses. Dante notes that good sense and justice are given by God and God alone. 

Canto VIII 
Ante-purgatory: the evening with the late-repentant princes. 
Dante and Virgil are at the close of the first day on the mountain of purgatory, and Dante is fading into sleep, when he sees one of the men rise and call the others to listen: then he sings Te lucis ante, the hymn, and the others join in. While they sing, Dante notes two guardian angels descend, dressed in green, with green wings, who come to rest over the edges of the group. Sordello tells the travelers they are there to protect against the serpent, who will soon come. Dante gets a little freaked out by this but Sordello tells them to come down into the midst of the group to speak, for this would be a blessing to them. 

Immediately one of them locks eyes with Dante and it turns out to be Nino Visconti, a patron of Dante’s. Nino asks him how long he has been there, and Dante reveals that he was still alive, and had travelled through hell, hoping to learn how to amend his life and be able to gain heaven. At this information, the men draw back and one of them, Corrado Malaspina, is called to come quickly. Corrado asks Dante to please have his daughter Giovanna pray for him, since his wife has remarried and he supposes she no longer cares enough to pray for him. He gives a terzina’s worth of invective on the fickleness of women’s love, then prophecies that she’s going to be sorry for having chosen her current husband, who will come to ruin. Dante looks up and sees three new stars, which symbolize faith, hope, and love. These in turn symbolize Dante’s readiness to enter into purgatory proper the next day. 

Sordello then notes the snake has appeared, but the angels quickly chase him away. Corrado Malaspina asks for any news of his family. Dante says that they are world famous and they remain an honorable family. Corrado tells him to go now, but mentions that before seven years are up, Dante will know the Malaspina’s hospitality himself, not just through reputation he has heard from others.  

At this the canto ends. 

Canto IX 
At the entrance to purgatory 
The canto starts off with one of Dante’s confusing descriptions of the day, which references the mythological story of Aurora (the Dawn) and her lover Tithonus, and the constellation Scorpio. 

About three hours after nightfall, (around 9pm) Dante is asleep. He dreams of an eagle that circles overhead, but then suddenly swoops down and picks him up, carrying him up high into the atmosphere. 

He awakes, he tells us, just like Achilles, when his mom took him from home, wondering just where the heck he was, when he sees Virgil, who explains that while he was asleep, Saint Lucia came and carried Dante up near the entrance of Purgatory. At this, Dante relaxes, and both he and Virgil head up toward the gateway. There they meet a guardian who tells them to come no further and explain who they are, what they want, and where their escort is. Virgil explains that Lucia set them there and told them to approach, at which the guardian tells them to come forward. They pass over three steps, representing sincerity in confession, contrition, and ardent love. Virgil tells Dante to request that the guardian unlock the door. He does and then throws himself down at the guardian’s feet. 

The guardian inscribes 7 P’s on his forehead and tells Dante to make sure he washes these from his forehead while inside. The guardian has an ash colored robe, and carries two keys: a golden key which symbolizes absolution, and is more precious, since it can only work through the power of Jesus’ blood. The silver key symbolizes the power of the confessor to judge the condition of the penitent, and it requires great skill and understanding to use. The keys were given by Peter, who told the guardian to err more towards letting men in, than excluding men. For it would be better to accept a few who were unworthy, than shut out those that should be let in.  

As Dante and Virgil enter, the guardian warns Dante not to look backward with any longing, or he would be returned outside. 

The canto finishes with a description of the metal doors opening with such a thunderous rumble, but also somehow mixed with the choir of the hymn ’Te Deum laudamus’ (We praise you, God). 

Canto X 
The first level: pride 
The pilgrims enter into purgatory, and are immediately brought through a time-consuming narrow passage that may, if I’ve understood it correctly, have the mountain actually receding and advancing, requiring some skill to navigate the path. They reach a ledge, that doesn’t seem to show any way up, but as they are looking about, Dante notices that the walls are filled with three scenes carved into the white marble. The first was a depiction of the Annunciation of the birth of Christ, showing the angel Gabriel speaking to Mary. The scene is so realistic that Dante says he can practically hear the words “Here is the Lord’s handmaiden” as he looks. Dante is transfixed by this scene when Virgil tells him to look  beyond this one scene, since there are others. The second scene depicted is the ark being carried to Jerusalem. The same scene depicts both attempts: the first carrying the ark with the oxen and cart, and the second with David dancing. This is perhaps to show the difference between the presumption to carry the ark in the non-prescribed manner, and then David’s self-abasement in his dance during the second attempt. 

Dante again can almost hear the singing and smell the incense in the depictions. 

The third scene depicts Trajan’s mercy and duty towards a bereaved widow. Again Dante is moved by what he calls the “visible speech”, meaning the depiction is so convincing that he can literally hear the story happening. 

Virgil then points out a group of penitents coming towards them. These are the proud, and they are so stooped over with their heavy stone weights. Dante addresses the Christian reader, asking what it is that we should have to be so proud of, when we are almost no better than maggots, born by mere circumstance. How do we so exalt ourselves, trusting in steps that literally lead us backwards away from God.  

Then he notes that just like when you see a roof support carved in the figure of a man, who has his knee in his chest as if he is shouldering a great weight, you’re almost convinced that he is really in pain, even though it’s not true. So were these men; bent over to greater or lesser degrees- but even the most patient looked as if he could not take any more. 

Canto XI 
The first level: pride cont. 
The canto starts with an expanded version of the Lord’s prayer recited by the penitents in the first ring. They are praying half for themselves, but in part for those still alive. Dante says they prayed while the moved under the weight of their own pride, while purging the fog of their sinful ways as they went. Dante encourages us that if they pray for us, we should be praying for them. 

Virgil wishes them well and asks for the shortest way up to the next level, since Dante is still alive and climbing is tiresome for him. 

Then Omberto Aldabrandesco answers and tells Virgil and Dante to come along and he would show them the way up. He tells Dante that he is here for his own arrogance for his heritage, and that he died because of his arrogance. He acknowledges the justice of his own punishment. 

Then another man, Oderisi da Gubbio, looks at Dante, who recognizes him as the artist famous for illuminating manuscripts. Oderisi downplays his art as underneath that of Franco Bolognese, who we know next to nothing about. Oderisi says that he would not have been so kind in life, where his fame was the only thing that mattered to him. For that pride, he pays the price here, and in fact, he’s only here (rather than in hell) because while he was still alive, he turned to God. 

Then Oderisi launches into a speech about the short duration of human glory. He mentions Cimabue having the world’s attention, until Cimabue was displaced by Giotto. Guido Guinizelli was displaced as the supreme Italian poet by Dante’s friend Guido Cavalcanti, both of whom would perhaps be displaced by some other poet…. probably Dante suggesting that he himself would overtake them both. 

Dante mentions the passing glory of worldly fame, and then writes that it would make no difference if you lived to old age or died as an infant after a thousand years had passed, and even that thousand years is like the movement of an eyebrow when compared to the movement of the heavenly spheres. 

Oderisi then mentions another in front of him, Provenzan Salvani, who was once the most acclaimed man in Tuscany, and is now barely mentioned.  

Dante notes that these words stir him to humility and ‘smooths the great tumor’, or deflates his swelling pride. Then he asks about Provenzano. Oderisi answers that he tried to grab all of Siena for himself, (though he was only a private citizen) and for this, he pays the price for one who dared to take so much for himself. Dante then asked how he got there so fast, if the normal path for those that waited to repent is to serve the length of their life in ante-purgatory before entering in. 

Oderisi relates that while at the height of his power and pride, he went to bat for a friend of his who was thrown in prison by Charles of Anjou. Provenzano had stood fast in Siena’s main square, effectively humbling himself for his friend. For this, he was granted access earlier. Oderisi also prophesies that Dante himself will be treated to such by his own friends, speaking of Dante’s coming exile.