The Allegory of the Chariot and the Tree of Knowledge

Beatrice and the procession move to the Tree of Knowledge, which is bare. The Griffin ties the chariot to the tree, which blossoms anew. Dante falls asleep and awakens to find Beatrice seated beneath the tree. She tells him to watch the chariot, which undergoes a series of transformations: an eagle descends and strikes it, a fox leaps into it, the eagle returns and leaves its feathers, a dragon emerges from the earth and steals part of the chariot, and the chariot grows monstrous heads. A whore and a giant appear, and the giant drags the chariot away. Beatrice explains that these events symbolize the corruption of the Church. This allegory is a powerful critique of the historical abuses of the papacy.