Purgatorio

How does Dante’s form embody his concept of history revealing divine truth gradually over time? Use specific examples from the text in your discussion.

When penitents realize that Dante is alive, they repeatedly ask him to carry a request to a loved one for prayers, or ask him to pray for them. Explain the significance of this request as it relates to the concept of purification from sin being a communal journey.

Why does Dante fall asleep or faint when overwhelmed by his experiences in Purgatory, and how does this occurrence relate to the poem’s central themes?

Dante’s references to historical figures and events can often be cryptic and require active effort from readers to decode. Using at least three specific examples from the text, discuss both Dante’s purpose in being obtuse and that strategy’s effect.

According to Dante, who does human sin harm, and what is the goal of purification from sin? Use at least three specific examples from the text in your discussion.

Several times in the poem, Dante incorporates paradoxes, as when Virgil explains how love expands and Forese expresses joy at his suffering. Explore the significance of paradox to Dante’s belief about the relationship between humans and the divine.

As he travels through the seven levels of purgation, Dante encounters examples of vice and virtue culled from Greco-Roman mythology, Hebrew scriptures, and Christian teachings. Using at least three specific examples from the text, examine the significance of these examples to Dante’s themes.

Dante frequently describes his experiences using analogies. What is the function of these analogies in the poem, and how do they relate to Dante’s themes?