In Which Pilgrimage Becomes Crusade: PURGATORIO, Canto XXXIII, Lines 61 - 78

Beatrice concludes her monologue at the end of PURGATORIO with some dazzling metaphoric pyrotechnics, a slam on Dante's intellect, and a redefinition of this journey across the known universe. It's not just any old pilgrimage. It's a crusade. Join me, Mark Scarbrough, as we look at the final images of her speech and discover its larger, structural details . . . which point us directly ahead to PARADISO. Consider defraying the many costs of this podcast with a one-time donation or a small monthly stipend by using this PayPal link right here. Here are the segments for this episode of WALKING WITH DANTE: [01:11] My English translation of PURGATORIO, Canto XXXIII, Lines 61 - 78. If you'd like to read along or continue the conversation about this episode, please find its entry on my website, markscarbrough.com. [03:03] Fun calculations to discover how long Adam (and Eve) stayed in Limbo. [07:52] Beatrice's assertions about the writing and reading of texts. [13:33] References to the river Elsa and to Pyramus. [17:10] A badly mixed metaphor that leads into questions of interiority. [21:14] Rereading all of Beatrice's final monologue in PURGATORIO: XXXIII: 31 - 78. [23:49] Four structural notes on this monologue.