The Punishment of the Gluttonous in Purgatory

The purgation of gluttony on the sixth terrace, where souls are emaciated by hunger and thirst, tormented by a fruit tree and a water spray.

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The Emaciated Shades

The Skeletal Forms The Appearance The gluttonous are so thin that their skin shapes itself to their bones. Their eyes are hollow, and they look like skeletons. The Cause They are tormented by the scent of a fruit tree and a spray of water that they cannot reach. This represents the insatiable desire for food and drink.

Forese Donati's Explanation

The Purification The Tree and Water Forese explains that the tree and water are from the eternal council. The scent and spray cause their hunger and thirst, purging their excess. The Solace Though painful, this torment is also a solace because it leads them to holiness. They circle the tree and water, crying out examples of temperance.

Buonagiunta da Lucca

The Poet's Recognition The Prophecy Buonagiunta, a poet from Lucca, prophesies that a maiden named Gentucca will make Lucca pleasing to Dante. He asks if Dante is the one who invented the sweet new style. The Definition Dante explains that he writes as Love dictates. Buonagiunta acknowledges that this style surpasses the old school.

The Examples of Temperance

The Scourges The Voices The souls shout examples of temperance: the Virgin Mary's concern for the wedding feast, the Roman women's water-drinking, Daniel's refusal of royal food, and John the Baptist's diet of honey and locusts. The Curb They also recall examples of gluttony punished: the Centaurs at the wedding of Theseus, and the Israelites who craved meat in the desert.

The Angel of Temperance

The Ascent The Angel An angel appears, so bright that Dante cannot look at him. He fans them with his wings, singing 'Beati qui esuriunt et sitiunt iustitiam' (Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness). The Removal of a P The angel removes another P from Dante's forehead. Dante feels lighter and ready for the final terrace.

On the sixth terrace of Purgatory

On the sixth terrace, during the encounter

On the sixth terrace, after Forese

On the sixth terrace, during the walk

At the end of the sixth terrace