Purgatorio Suffering Quotes Page 1

The closer a soul is to the bottom of the mountain, the harder it is to motivate himself to climb upwards, partly because the path is so steep. As he purges himself of his sins, though, his suffering eases and he actually feels lighter as he climbs higher. The higher he climbs, the easier the path becomes, so that his virtue increases along with his willingness to suffer as he climbs.

Belacqua, stuck in ante-Purgatory and simply lounging around, is frustrated in his attempts to climb the mountain because he has not fulfilled his waiting time (of thirty times one’s lifespan) yet. Ironically, he suffers merely by sitting around. Even more ironically, he wants to begin his real suffering by climbing up the mountain. So Belacqua – like the rest of the penitents – suffers from something not inherently painful (waiting); essentially he suffers from not suffering enough.

Despite the intense suffering of the penitents as they take on the punishments on each terrace, they should not despair and give into pain – Dante says – because, unlike the sinners in Hell, these souls are guaranteed admittance into Heaven. While they’re suffering, they should “consider what comes after,” not “dwell upon the form of punishment.” In other words, they should keep their eye on the prize to motivate themselves.