Dante Book IV Canto IV Scene I

 Canto IV

Repentance KIV

Scene I

“There is a path seen ahead.” Virgil heard the others in the group call out. It was indeed a path that led to the top or maybe not as the peak was not seen. However, it created a rush than when the group moved to mount the steps. No one wanted to be left out and regardless of their physical conditions, they rushed to the steps. The path opening was narrow and the ledge they were on was narrower. They stepped in line and moved their way leaning back on the wall of the structure to secure their ascent. During the ascent, some were in the rush, pushed their way ahead without consideration for the ones before them.

“Don’t push!’ Dante called out when he had to assist one who had fallen but his assistance was pushed aside, while the one he assisted moved to mount the stairs once more.

“I have to get there.” That was the reinforcing attitude of the one who fell and then resumed the climb. It was chaos but soon everyone was mounting the path.

Dante took the ascent between Cato and Virgil but he doubted if he ever needs to hold them in case of any slip-up, it will be worthless for they are intangible to be held on.

“Why do they fall?” Dante asked Cato when he saw one fall off the path to resume again. “They are intangible --- without any corporeal form.”

“It’s not the physical form but the soul still retains its hold on the physical platform. When the soul feels the vibration of being pushed, it will react by holding on or losing its balance. They may not get hurt and resumed their climb.”

“The path will be there regardless of when you climb and what pace?”

“Is it? Dante, please focus on the task. How long have we walked and not noticed any paths to go up, or even back to the structure, and then it appeared for them? Was it coincidental or probability that defiles logic? Or perhaps the path was planned and it was scheduled to appear there now?”

“What it was, these souls have walked for days and nights without any sense of getting up, and an instant they found one. Do you think they will hesitate? Would you?” Cato smiled.

“You saw earlier some of them were looking at the walls. Perhaps they were shown other paths but failed to mount it? This is not Purgatory as you were read. It may be the manifestation of the Prison. After all, the prison was designed to challenge or rather despair your hopes in the mind.”

“How much further do I need to climb?” Dante asked. He was feeling tired from the walk.

“Silence, Poet. I thought you better at this after we through Hell.” It was Virgil who warned Dante. “We need to get to the next level and then get more directions. Have you not learned that from Hell?”

“Prevail, Poet. You can overcome the challenge here.” Cato encouraged Dante.

“Fair for you to say for you are a construct and so is ---Virgil. I am a soul now with a physical frame, and exhaustion exists inside me.” Dante moaned his weakness.

“Perhaps you need to get your soul off your physical constraints.” Cato voiced out with steps that Dante took to follow. “If I may intrigue you on something intellectual. Let us talk about the theory of soul by Plato who drew on the words of Socrates in his writing in the Republic.”

The theory of Soul was also known as the Phaedo or the On Justice as an alternative title.  Plato however, conceives of justice as the excellent state of the soul, and so it is not surprising that the Republic sheds a great deal of light on Plato's conception of the soul. One way in which it does so is by explicitly integrating several central features of the ordinary notion of soul, features which, in the Phaedo, coexist somewhat uneasily (https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/ancient-soul/#3.2).

“The responsibility for the life of an organism (that is, in the human case, responsibility for its being and remaining alive as a human being), for cognitive and (especially) intellectual functions, and moral virtues such as courage and justice.” Cato recited the findings of Plato then.

“The ---“, Cato was cut off by Dante.

“Plato's theory of soul, drawing on the words of his teacher Socrates, considered the psyche (ψυχή) to be the essence of a person, being that which decides how people behave. He considered this essence to be an incorporeal, eternal occupant of our being. Plato said that even after death, the soul exists and can think. He believed that as bodies die, the soul is continually reborn (metempsychosis) in subsequent bodies.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plato%27s_theory_of_soul.

“I know we read the same books.” Dante beamed up to Cato’s conversation. “The Platonic soul consists of three parts which are located in different regions of the body; the logos, or logistikon, located in the head, is related to reason and regulates the other partsm the thymos or thumoeides, located near the chest region and is related to anger and the eros, or epithumetikon, located in the stomach and is related to one's desires.”

“And why are we doing elementary philosophy now while we are cold and attempting to climb?” It was Virgil who was agitated for they were left behind by the group ahead, and more to it, Virgil was climbing on loose snow.

“You won’t fall, Virgil,” Cato assured the other. “You could fly ahead for you are a construct and not restraint by any programs.”

“Bloody good it will do me now.” Virgil cursed out and recalled his task to stay close to Dante.

“Dante, the Book explained; that the same thing will never do or undergo opposite things in the same part of it and towards the same thing at the same time; so, if we find this happening, we shall know it was not one thing but more than one.” (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plato%27s_theory_of_soul.)

“Hence, given each person has only one soul, it should be impossible for a person to simultaneously desire something yet also at that very moment be averse to the same thing, as when one is tempted to commit a crime but also averse to it.” Dante continued.

“In theory, it should not be possible for the soul to at the same time both be in one state and its opposite. From this, it follows that there must be at least two aspects to the soul.” Cato continued from there and was interrupted by Virgil then.

“Dante, there is a ledge there. We can rest.” Virgil called out. “Well, it looked a ledge although whoever said there will be any on a structure like this. Okay, let’s call it a plane.”

The trio moved to the extended plane there and rested.

“Why did we speak of souls just now?”

“We are in Purgatory and it’s the next best place to discuss how to cleanse your soul? Or souls, I guess.” Virgil cut in but Dante was still intrigued by the subject matter.

“For discussion, if a person had several souls, he would still notice the passage of time, no matter how spellbound he might be by something else because not all of his souls are concentrating on the same thing at one time.” Dante then motioned to the sun seen there from the plane. “Do you realize that we had climbed very high? The sun is to be near the zenith but now it resides lower?”

“A simple correction I can contribute. We are in Purgatory hence we are below as in downwards or in the astronomy view, we are at the Southern Hemisphere. You were used to seeing the Sun from the Northern Hemisphere.” Virgil was ever enlightening.

“It did not occur to me. We did not see the Sun in Hell.” Dante voiced out. “I meant the program did not display any Sun there. I am no astronomer but I have studied the concept of the Sun and its movement. In the Southern Hemisphere, the south is to the left. The Sun rises in the east culminates in the north while moving to the left, and sets in the west. Both rise and set positions are displaced towards the south in midsummer and the north in midwinter.”

“We living humans share both space and time with the dead souls of Purgatory. Spatially, living humans dwell in the land-filled northern hemisphere of the globe that we share with Purgatory. The mountain of Purgatory is located in the iced southern hemisphere; cold like Hell. So was the air we breathe on earth is the same air that the souls of Purgatory no longer need to breathe.” (Adapted from https://digitaldante.columbia.edu/dante/divine-comedy/purgatorio/purgatorio-2/).

“Poet”, Virgil took on his sarcastic appearance and looked at Dante. “Stay to poems please, will you?”

“Alright, tell me my learned ---companion. How far are we to the next level?” Dante asked with scorn on his expression.

“I don’t know. The climb from the base is the most difficult and it gets better as we reach the top. It may be as easy in climbing as sailing in the sea current.” Virgil replied. “Climbing ain’t my pastime.”

“Perchance before then thou wilt be constrained to sit.” The trio heard the calling and turned to look at what may appear to be an extension of the plane unnoticed before. They stepped over and saw several persons or souls there basking in the sunlight. The amusing part of the group as they were devoid of their clothing but the manacles remained on at their legs; a rather awkward sight for the overall was drawn down to there. It saved on the embarrassment for all that was there were males.

“Indulgence unseen in the cold winter. Don’t they feel the coldness here?” Dante asked.

“Perhaps not to some.” Cato motioned to one who was huddled there with his head between his knees.

“Oh, sweet Lord” Virgil invoked the Lord’s name on his lips. “Look at him, who shows himself more indolent than if sloth were his sister.”

“Virgil, hold your voice if any. The ---” Dante cautioned the other but one of those who were there looked up and shouted towards them.

“Now go thou up, for thou art valiant.” The figure roared out. “We care not for endless of us tried and found nothing there. We bask here in the sun looking for warmth although the cold had hardly any effect on us.”

Dante beamed upon seeing the soul there.  

“Belacqua, you old Florence survival.”