They quote examples of the consequences of sloth before hurrying off. Towards midnight, as Dante is dozing off, a crowd of spirits approaches them at speed, urging one another to move more quickly. Through the course of the evening, Virgil explains to Dante the moral structure of Purgatory, and how the Seven Deadly Sins relate to love. Once again, the wing of that angel brushes against Dante’s brow, and removes the third P which had been inscribed there. Dante and Virgil meet another guardian angel, who draws them up the next section of ascent just before sunset to reach the fourth terrace. Marco singles out Pope Boniface VIII for criticism, over his claim to both spiritual and temporal authority, which he refers to as having ‘two suns in the sky’. Gustave Doré (1832–1883), Marco the Lombard 2, Purgatorio Canto 16 verses 34-36 (c 1857), engraving, dimensions and location not known. Gustave Doré (1832–1883), Marco the Lombard 1, Purgatorio Canto 16 verses 25-27 (c 1857), engraving, dimensions and location not known. As he follows Virgil, Dante’s hand resting on the Roman’s shoulder, he converses with the worldly-wise Marco the Lombard, who blames humans for lack of virtue, most of all their leaders for their misrule. Wikimedia Commons.Īs the sun sets, its light is blocked by a rising cloud of dense smoke, forcing Dante to close his eyes. Gustave Doré (1832–1883), The Stoning of Saint Stephen, Purgatorio Canto 15 verses 106-108 (c 1857), engraving, dimensions and location not known. Image by Didier Descouens, via Wikimedia Commons. Charles Thévenin (1764–1838), The Stoning of Saint Stephen (1829), media and dimensions not known, Cathédrale Saint-Étienne de Toulouse, Toulouse, France. Rembrandt (1606–1669), The Stoning of Saint Stephen (1625), oil on oak panel, 89.5 x 123.6 cm, Musée des Beaux-Arts, Lyon, France.

Most prominent among the examples used is the last prayer of Saint Stephen (in French, Saint Étienne) for the forgiveness of those who cast him out of their city for preaching in the name of Jesus, and stoned him to death. On this terrace, the souls of the dead rid themselves of wrath, a process involving visions. The pair are taken up to the third terrace by one of the guardian angels, as Virgil explains to Dante how spiritual love can only grow as more share it. Dante, guided by the spirit of Virgil, is making his way steadily up the island-mountain of Purgatory.

The divine comedy paintings