Purgatorio characters

Appears from the start

A living Florentine poet continuing his guided journey through the afterlife. Having emerged from Hell before dawn, he must climb the mountain of Purgatory, learn how disordered love is corrected, and become ready to proceed beyond the limits of Virgil's guidance.

Appears from the start

The Roman poet who led Dante through Hell and now accompanies him onto the shore of Purgatory. Wise but unfamiliar with this realm, he remains Dante's teacher and protector while acknowledging the boundaries of reason and of his own knowledge.

Also known as Cato of Utica

Appears from the start

The stern guardian of the mountain's shore. Though a pagan who died by suicide, he is presented as a defender of liberty and orders Virgil to cleanse Dante's face and gird him with a humble reed before the ascent begins.

First appears in chapter 2

A musician from Florence whom Dante knew in life. Newly arrived among the saved, he responds warmly to Dante and sings for the gathered souls until Cato breaks up their pause and sends them toward the mountain.

First appears in chapter 3

A former king of Sicily waiting outside Purgatory proper because he died under excommunication after turning to God at the end. He shows Dante the wound that killed him and asks that his daughter arrange prayers for him.

First appears in chapter 5

A soldier who died in battle after repenting at the last moment. He explains how his body was lost to a river while his soul was saved, and he asks Dante to carry his story back to the living.

First appears in chapter 6

A Mantuan poet and political figure who pauses his long stillness when he learns that Virgil shares his homeland. His spontaneous welcome contrasts with the factional conflict that Dante sees in Italy.

First appears in chapter 8

A judge and political leader from Pisa whom Dante meets among the rulers in the valley of the negligent. He greets Dante as a former acquaintance and speaks with concern about the family and city he left behind.

First appears in chapter 9

The heavenly porter at the entrance to Purgatory proper. Seated above three symbolic steps and holding the keys of judgment, he marks seven letters on Dante's forehead and admits the travelers through the gate.

First appears in chapter 11

An Italian manuscript illuminator bent beneath a crushing stone on the terrace of pride. He recognizes Dante, reflects on how quickly artistic fame passes from one master to another, and redirects honor away from himself.

First appears in chapter 16

A Lombard courtier encountered inside the blinding smoke of the terrace of wrath. He discusses the causes of worldly corruption with Dante and insists that human beings retain moral freedom rather than being controlled entirely by the stars.

Also known as Pope Adrian V

First appears in chapter 19

A former pope lying face down among souls purging avarice. He explains that high office showed him too late how deceptive worldly advancement was and asks Dante to seek prayers from a surviving relative.

First appears in chapter 21

The Roman poet of the Thebaid, newly released from purification when he meets Dante and Virgil after the mountain trembles. He explains the joyful cause of the earthquake and speaks with deep admiration for Virgil's poetry before learning who accompanies him.

First appears in chapter 28

An unidentified woman gathering flowers beside a stream in the Earthly Paradise. She welcomes Dante from the opposite bank and explains how the summit's wind, water, and plants differ from those of the inhabited world below.

First appears in chapter 23

A Florentine poet and former friend of Dante wasting away on the terrace of gluttony. He and Dante recognize one another despite Forese's altered appearance, and their conversation joins personal affection to criticism of Florence.

First appears in chapter 30

Dante's beloved and the divinely appointed source of his journey, arriving in the Earthly Paradise with a sacred procession. Her presence ends Virgil's role as guide, and her stern greeting forces Dante to face the moral failures that led him astray after her death.