Purgatorio Love Quotes Page 1
Citations follow this format: (Canto.Line). We used Allen Mandelbaum's translation.
| Quote #1 [Virgil to Cato]: “…but I am from the circle where the chaste |
Romantic love, even when faithful and conjugal, has no place in Purgatory, where all of one’s love must be directed toward God. Cato proves this by renouncing his love for his wife Marcia (who now suffers in Hell) in favor of the new “law” of Purgatory. Now, mortal love has no power to move him. This principal holds true for all the penitents in Purgatory.
| Quote #2 [Manfred]: “After my body had been shattered by |
God’s love is conveyed by his forgiveness of all those who repent, no matter how late in life. Here, Manfred describes his experience of God’s compassion, which he deems “Infinite Goodness” because it “willingly forgives” him no matter how “ghastly” his sins.
| Quote #3 Despite the Church’s curse, there is no one |
God’s love of an individual, Manfred suggests, has nothing to do with the Church’s opinion of him. This is exemplified by the character of Manfred, who was excommunicated by Pope Alexander IV for what was seen as an illegitimate bid for political power. By placing him in Purgatory, author-Dante hints that God can forgive even an excommunicate, if the individual repents and continues to “hope.”
