Textual Analysis
Purgatory is where “the human spirit purges himself, and climbing to Heaven makes himself worthy”(The World of Dante). In Dante, Purgatory is divided into three sections called Antepurgatory, Purgatory Proper, and Earthly Paradise. Inside purgatory the upper part of the mountain contains seven terraces, each consisting of one of the seven capital sins (The World of Dante). After visiting the first terrace, that of the prideful, Dante the pilgrim and Virgil arrive at the second terrace, which is full of the envious. This terrace differs from its predecessor, the prideful, because it is full of bare rock. This bare rock is very different from the white marble Dante previously saw in the last terrace. The environment of the covetousness is supposed to embody envy because “envy can enjoy nothing, turns life into a hard, bare, rocky desert, and flings its own livid …show more content…
Dante chose these stories from the Bible to help explain his point regarding the relationships found between envy and love. In the book of John there is the telling of Jesus’ first miracle. This miracle took place at a wedding in Cana. “On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus also was invited to the wedding with his disciples. When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, ‘They have no wine’” (John 2:1-3 NIV). This exclamation from Mary is an example stated to illustrate consideration of others. The next statement of love mentioned on the terrace came from segments of the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7. Jesus spoke in Galilee about the beatitudes at this point in the Bible. He emphasized that we are to forgive and love those who harm us. “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:43-44
Purgatory is where “the human spirit purges himself, and climbing to Heaven makes himself worthy”(The World of Dante). In Dante, Purgatory is divided into three sections called Antepurgatory, Purgatory Proper, and Earthly Paradise. Inside purgatory the upper part of the mountain contains seven terraces, each consisting of one of the seven capital sins (The World of Dante). After visiting the first terrace, that of the prideful, Dante the pilgrim and Virgil arrive at the second terrace, which is full of the envious. This terrace differs from its predecessor, the prideful, because it is full of bare rock. This bare rock is very different from the white marble Dante previously saw in the last terrace. The environment of the covetousness is supposed to embody envy because “envy can enjoy nothing, turns life into a hard, bare, rocky desert, and flings its own livid …show more content…
Dante chose these stories from the Bible to help explain his point regarding the relationships found between envy and love. In the book of John there is the telling of Jesus’ first miracle. This miracle took place at a wedding in Cana. “On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus also was invited to the wedding with his disciples. When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, ‘They have no wine’” (John 2:1-3 NIV). This exclamation from Mary is an example stated to illustrate consideration of others. The next statement of love mentioned on the terrace came from segments of the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7. Jesus spoke in Galilee about the beatitudes at this point in the Bible. He emphasized that we are to forgive and love those who harm us. “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:43-44