This is quite similar to St. Thomas Aquinas’ explanation that without grace (Beatrice), nature (Virgil) can only take an individual so far on their journey. Dante strongly emphasizes the progression from Purgatory to Paradise in Canto XXX. “Through the flowers, Beatrice appears. The Pilgrim turns to Virgil to confess his overpowering emotions, only to find that Virgil has disappeared!”(Dante pg. 363) The emergence of Beatrice and vanishing of Virgil is meant to represent the exact transitional moment between nature and grace. Virgil has taken Dante as far as he could in his quest for paradise; at this exact point in time Beatrice’s appearance and purpose was to help Dante attain salvation. The fact that nature (Virgil) and grace (Beatrice) are so strongly correlated in Dante’s pilgrimage through Hell, Purgatory, and paradise makes it evident that Dante’s writing reflects St. Thomas Aquinas’
This is quite similar to St. Thomas Aquinas’ explanation that without grace (Beatrice), nature (Virgil) can only take an individual so far on their journey. Dante strongly emphasizes the progression from Purgatory to Paradise in Canto XXX. “Through the flowers, Beatrice appears. The Pilgrim turns to Virgil to confess his overpowering emotions, only to find that Virgil has disappeared!”(Dante pg. 363) The emergence of Beatrice and vanishing of Virgil is meant to represent the exact transitional moment between nature and grace. Virgil has taken Dante as far as he could in his quest for paradise; at this exact point in time Beatrice’s appearance and purpose was to help Dante attain salvation. The fact that nature (Virgil) and grace (Beatrice) are so strongly correlated in Dante’s pilgrimage through Hell, Purgatory, and paradise makes it evident that Dante’s writing reflects St. Thomas Aquinas’