We have come to the climax of Virgil's in COMEDY: the apex of his character, the moment when he is what he should have been all along, a poignant and fitting summit for this most difficult figure in the poem.

Join me, Mark Scarbrough, as we stand at the top of the final staircase on Mount Purgatory and take our first steps into the Garden of Eden with the pilgrim who is ready to continue on his own, with crown and miter in hand, thanks all to Virgil, the best guide he could have had.

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Here are the segments for this episode of WALKING WITH DANTE:

[02:11] My English translation of PURGATORIO, Canto XXVII, lines 124 - 142. If you'd like to read along or continue the conversation with me, please find the entry for this episode on my website, markscarbrough.com.

[04:45] The climax of Virgil's natural talent and learned skill for the soul's journey across the known universe.

[14:19] Our first glimpse at the top of Mount Purgatory beyond the stairs.

[17:50] The entrance to the Garden of Eden--and a theological problem about Satan.

[21:27] The pilgrim, with crown and miter from Virgil.

[30:24] Rereading the passage: PURGATORIO, Canto XXVII, lines 124 - 142.