Dec 16, 2009

Divine Comedy | Characters

Beatrice
Beatrice summons Virgil from Limbo (Inferno 2) to lead Dante the Pilgrim through Hell, up the Mount of Purgatory to the Garden of Eden. She sits with the blessed in the heavenly rose, where she waits to replace Virgil as the Pilgrim's guide (Purgatory 30). Beatrice, "bringer of blessedness," is therefore largely responsible for the Pilgrim's (and the poet's) salvation. The historical Beatrice Portinari (1266-90) was the daughter of Folco Portinari, a wealthy Florentine, and the wife of...