Purgatory, Canto 31

The Sayers Text of Purgatory Canto 31 (Open PDF)

A Prose translation of Canto 31 (by David Bruce)

Summary

UNDER the weight of Beatrice’s reproaches, Dante breaks down and confesses his guilt, and is so overcome that he faints away. He recovers consciousness to find that he is being drawn across Lethe by the Lady (Matilda), who plunges his head into the stream so that he drinks the water. The Cardinal Virtues bring him to Beatrice; and gazing into her unveiled eyes he sees reflected in them the Gryphon, now wholly eagle and now wholly lion, though the Gryphon itself remains unaltered in its double nature. At the prayer of the Theological Virtues, Beatrice turns her eyes upon Dante himself, and unveils her smiling mouth.

The Prepatory Lecture

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Questions for Reflection

• When Beatrice appears, all chant Benedictus qui venis (“Blessed is he who comes…”) But the Latin takes the masculine rather than feminine ending. Why do you think Dante does this? What is he trying to say about Beatrice’s true identity?
• Beatrice’s words reach Dante like the point of a sword. How does this image recall Christ (31.1-3)?
• Does Dante confess (31.13-21)? How does his confession recall Buonconte in Purgatorio. 5?
• How does Beatrice present herself as a sign of God (31.22-24)?
• Why might Dante describe himself as a child in 64-69? Why describe Beatrice as a mother?
• How does line 96 contrast to Charon’s boat in Inferno 3?
• How do the cardinal virtues (the four girls) lead Dante to Beatrice’s eyes, and why does he need the theological virtues to “look much deeper into things” (103-111)?
• What is Dante indicating when he places Beatrice standing close to the breast of the griffin (31.112-114)?
• What does Dante suggest when he describes seeing the griffin reflected in Beatrice’s eyes (31.120)? What might Dante be saying about what it means to be a Christian?
• Why might Virgil disappear unexpectedly? Where do you think Virgil went and why?
• Does the first meeting with Beatrice go the way you’ve expected? Why or not why?
• Note that line 55 is the only time that Dante names himself in the entire poem. Why do so at this moment?
• What was Dante’s great sin (30.121-145)? Is this surprising to you?

Purgatory, Canto 31-33 © Jan Hearn

The Images

Dante’s conviction of Sin: It may seem strange that Dante’s overwhelming conviction of sin, and his abject confession, should be placed at this point, after his (symbolical) purgation by the ascent of the Mountain. He has already “seen himself as he is” and made his act of contrition at Peter’s Gate (ix. 94 and Images), without any such violent psychological disturbance. What is meant, I think, is that not until the state of innocence has been recovered can sin be apprehended in its full horror. So long as any taint of sinfulness remains, there is always something in the soul that still assents to sin; only when the last, lingering vestige of unconscious assent has been purged away can one see one’s own sin as it appears to God — as something unspeakably vile and hideous. The sight is unbearable to human nature (thus, in xxx. 76-87, Dante cannot endure to look at his own reflection in the stream); therefore, as soon as realization is complete and confession made, the remembrance of sin is mercifully drowned in oblivion.

Mark Vernon's Lecture