Stars
Throughout Purgatorio, stars symbolize the light of God’s grace. In particular, the stars symbolize different virtues that are reflective of good, godly behavior. At the beginning of the poem, four stars hang in sky…
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Journeys and Climbing
Dante’s journey through Purgatory is envisioned as an arduous climb up a mountain, which symbolizes the soul’s ascent to God. With this image, Dante doesn’t intend to map the literal geography of Purgatory but…
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Music, Song, and Singing
In Purgatorio, singing is communal activity and points to the hope of a common salvation toward which the souls in Purgatory journey together. By contrast, the souls in Hell (as described in Dante’s Inferno…
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