Blinded by the angel, Dante the pilgrim begins his climb to the sixth terrace of Mount Purgatory. But his plight is overshadowed by Virgil’s desire to know more about Statius . . . in this strange passage of misquotings and misreadings.

The angel cuts short a beatitude from the gospels. Virgil seems to misquote Francesca from INFERNO, Canto V. And Virgil himself seems to toss out Aristotle’s Golden Mean to get what he wants from Statius.

Join me, Mark Scarbrough, as we work through the start of many misquotations and misreadings that make up PURGATORIO, Canto XXII.

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

[01:59] My English translation of the medieval Florentine. If you'd like to read along or add a comment to continue the discussion with me, please find the entry for this episode of the podcast on my website, markscarbrough.com.

[04:02] My opening remarks on PURGATORIO, Canto XXII.

[06:57] The climb and the truncated beatitude.

[12:23] Action off-stage . . . because of haste or because of blindness?

[15:47] Virgil's quotation (or misquotation) of Francesca from INFERNO, Canto V.

[20:55] Virgil's tragedy and Dante's hope.

[25:43] The question on all of our minds (with a passing reference to Aristotle's Ethics).

[29:29] Rereading the passage: PURGATORIO, Canto XXII, lines 1 - 24.