Sat, Aug 29 · 1:00 PM MDT
After emerging from the depths of Hell, Dante and his guide Virgil arrive at the shores of Mount Purgatory—the mountain that rises on the opposite side of the world from the pit of Inferno. Whereas Inferno depicts souls fixed forever in the consequences of their choices, Purgatory introduces a radically different vision: temporal, one of hope, transformation, and moral growth. Here, the souls willingly endure suffering because they know it will ultimately prepare them for Paradise.
Ascending the mountain, Dante encounters souls cleansing themselves of the seven deadly sins—pride, envy, wrath, sloth, avarice, gluttony, and lust. Each terrace presents punishments designed not simply to inflict pain but to cultivate the opposing virtue, illustrating that true justice restores rather than merely condemns. Throughout the journey, Dante himself undergoes this process of purification, gradually shedding the spiritual blindness and disordered desires revealed in Inferno .
The poem explores themes of free will, repentance, grace, humility, friendship, political responsibility, and the relationship between justice and mercy. It asks what genuine moral change requires and whether people can become the kind of persons they aspire to be. Compared with the darkness and despair of Inferno , Purgatory is brighter, slower, and more contemplative. It shifts the focus from sin and its consequences to the difficult but hopeful work of personal transformation, making it one of literature's most profound reflections on redemption and the possibility of becoming better.
We will be at the Central Library in room 3-20A from 1:00pm - 2:00pm.
