The Distressing Purgatory of Dante - The Divine Comedy

you have certainly heard of Dante's Inferno and its terrifying circles of hell where the worst Sinners endure Dreadful punishments however apart from Hell Dante aliger also detailed Purgatory today's video takes us on a journey along the route that represents a transition point between hell and Paradise illustrating the purification and Redemption process where souls are cleansed of their sins before reaching Paradise I Purgatory is an island on which a gigantic Mountain stands kissing the sky it comprises seven teres where souls go through the trials and teachings involved in each one of the famous deadly sins at the top of the mountain the Earthly Paradise represents the state of complete purification and the preparations for ascending to Paradise the boat carrying souls to Purgatory is Guided by an Angel who sits at its Helm a bright and Splendid figure his arrival is followed by the singing of the passengers who all chant Psalm 113 in unison after his arrival the angel blesses the souls with the sign of the cross allowing them to disembark and start their purgation Journey he then leaves as quickly as he arrived returning to collect more souls Auntie Purgatory is where Souls not yet ready to start the repentance and purification process are kept this pre purification Place Echoes the idea that some saved Sinners were less worthy than others and so had to spend time at the base of the mountain to counteract conditions that prevented them from being freed from sin this is where Souls excommunicated by The Church Must spend time in anti Purgatory equivalent to 30 times the period they suffered excommunication this period served as punishment for the insubordination that led to their separation from the church the second group includes Souls saved despite later repentance their purgation period is a cleansing process in proportion to the tardiness of their repentance on Earth they include Souls that were slow to devote themselves to God and those who died without Absolution prior to reaching the first Terrace the souls must pass through a door protected by a guardian of St Peter this Angel marks the Soul's forehead seven times with his sword symbol izing the seven sins that must be purified he also holds two keys one gold and the other silver to open the door that leads to Purgatory these Keys symbolize God's mercy and Justice ascending the mountain is difficult as the souls are burdened with sins but as they climb instead of becoming more tired they are lighter as their sins have been purged along the way the first Terrace is Meaningful for being the place where Souls face and Purge Pride which is considered by many to be the most crucial of the deadly sins as it is the root of all others the Soul's experience on this Terrace is physical and spiritual penitents are forced to carry heavy burdens bowing under the weight symbolic of the oppressive pressure of Pride this is a direct reflection of the sin they are atoning for as Pride raised them above others now they are literally lowered a physical representation of the humility they must learn along alongside physical Penance the Terrace also had a series of exemplars marble statues depicting historical and mythological instances of Pride and its demise these exemplars remind penitence of the devastating consequences of Pride and the value of humility the journey through this Terrace is a learning and transformative process Souls learn how to recognize and reject pride in themselves an essential step toward their purification and readiness to ascend to the next Terrace this entire process epitomizes the notion that true understanding and purification begin with humility and the ability to recognize one's own mistakes and limitations the sin of Envy is tackled and purged on the Second Terrace this is a Barren landscape standing in stark contrast to the Terrace of Pride which featured artistically elaborate carvings this visual element reflects the gloomy nature of envy a sin that Dante described as particularly harmful representing the negative longing for someone else to lose their possessions or apparent advantages on the Terrace of Envy penitent souls are portrayed with their eyes sewn shut wearing rough Fabrics like blind Beggars this depiction of eyes shut reveals the nature of Envy a sin that means looking grudgingly at the good of others the souls on the Terrace of Envy are stripped of the ability to see representing the spiritual blindness that Envy imposes the penitent vestments are the same color as the terce stones making it harder to distinguish them at first this absence of visual separation reinforces the idea that Envy is a sin seeking equality by reducing others rather than elevating oneself sameness and indistinctness stand for the destructive nature of Envy which wants to wipe out differences and success of others on the third Terrace penitents are plunged into a thick black smoke symbolizing the blindness and turmoil caused by anger the smoke is described as denser and more bitter than that of Hell or the darkest night the atmosphere of the Terrace of Wrath is marred by darkness and poor visibility echoing the nature of the rage that obscures reason and prevents sharp vision and understanding wrath is a sin that often clouds understanding and hinders a clear perception of reality leading to impulsive and destructive actions while experiencing blindness souls are urged to reflect on how wrath can divert us from the right path and how it is necessary to overcome it to achieve spiritual Clarity and inner peace the penitents on this Terrace engage in a joint prayer suggesting a sense of community and solidarity on their cleansing Journey unlike the divisive nature of Wrath the shared prayer and dependence on each other to travel the Terrace stresses the importance of reconciliation and Harmony this opposition between the destructive nature of Wrath and the healing found in community and prayer is a central Motif in this Terrace the purgatory's fourth Terrace depicts the cleansing of the sin of sloth the penitents on this Terrace are running in a group this action of running together represents a collective attempt to overcome the painful memory memories of solitary and lazy behavior on Earth the constant movement stands in direct contrast to the idle nature of laziness stressing how important action and effort are on the spiritual journey sloth is a sin that stems from an insufficient or improper desire to achieve the good unlike the previous vices which start from a love of what is wrong sloth arises from an unwillingness to seek the good this spiritual apathy delays the Soul's progress on its Journey towards God the penitence non-stop running symbolizes the effort needed to overcome spiritual and physical inertia a call to be diligent and zealous in seeking salvation The Sins Of The Miser and the prodigal are faced and purified on the fifth Terrace characterized by the vision of the penitence lying prostrate on the ground symbolizing both their submission to Divine Justice and the nature of the sin they are atoning for greed focused on accumulating material wealth and prodigality with its Reckless squandering of that same wealth are both sins that turn attention away from True spiritual abundance when forcing penitence to lie face down on the ground the need to turn away from Earthly desires and turn towards God is made clear Purgatory 6 Terrace addresses the purging of the sin of gluttony the penitents are subjected to an ordeal that reflects the nature of this Vice they are tormented by the constant presence of food and agreeable fragrances which however are kept out of their Reach This torment epitomizes the constant Temptation and desire that gluttony brings about but which here is used as a cleansing tool this experience forces penitents to face their excessive desire directly and learn to control it a crucial step in their Redemptive Journey instead of Simply punishing the penitents with hunger which would have been a direct response to their Indulgence in food uncontrolled desire is targeted this approach represents the Soul's journey of recognizing and overcoming deep inner desires rather than simply enduring external Temptations it reflects the belief that true satisfaction is not found in material Surplus but in moderation and the pursuit of higher spiritual values by overcoming gluttony a sin that is manifested both physically and spiritually it represents Liberation from Earthly cravings and the ascent to a state of Greater understanding and spiritual Purity Purgatory 7th and final Terrace addresses the sin of disordered carnal desire a profoundly human and complex issue penitents on this Terrace are purified by fire symbolizing lust's burning and devouring nature unlike water or air this element has a unique duality it is destructive and purifying fire represents the outof contr control passion of lust but it also serves as a means of cleansing and renewal scorching impure desires and allowing penitence to be spiritually reborn as opposed to the other sins dealt with on the previous Terraces lust has a more direct connotation with love and desire there's a fine line between pure love and unruly carnal desire the penitents sing hymns and prayers about true love and the beauty of Chastity these songs contrast with the Flames symbolizing the transformation of impure desire into Divine and pure love this is Central to the journey of purification as it represents the transmutation of Earthly desires into higher spiritual aspirations the seventh Terrace stands as a high point of the Purgatory Journey this is where self-love Envy anger laziness greed and gluttony are brought together in the con conep of lust a sin that contains all the unregulated urges of the human heart fire purification symbolizes the final and most challenging cleansing preparing souls for the ascent to Paradise at the top of the mountain the Earthly Paradise is portrayed as a place of stunning Natural Beauty with bright flowers fruit trees and clear waters this idyllic landscape embodies the Perfection of divine creation and the original Harmony between humans and nature the garden is a striking contrast to the sufferings and tribulations experienced on the previous Terraces of purgatory providing a peaceful Haven of renewal the Earthly Paradise in purgatory is a transitional place for Souls this is where they prepare for their final Journey to the Heavenly Paradise this Garden not only symbolizes Humanity's original state of Innocence but also the possibility of redemption and a Return to Grace the souls that have reached this stage completed their purification and are ready for the final Ascent to Paradise where they will find Eternal Union with God the garden stands for the hope and promise of redemption not withstanding the fall of humanity Grace and divine love provide a path back to communion with the Creator if you want to know more about the nine heavens of Dante's Paradise please like it and write a comment showing that you support this project see you in the next video

Channel: See U in History / Mythology

Views: 7,802

Keywords: history, mythology, See You in History, See u in history, The Distressing Purgatory of Dante, Purgatory, The Divine Comedy, Divine Comedy, Dante, Dante Alighieri

Id: aCYFGtfBihg

Length: 12min 39sec (759 seconds)

Published: Sat Jun 01 2024