The Negligent and Belacqua

Dante and Virgil continue climbing through a narrow cleft in the rock. They emerge on a terrace where they see souls sitting in the shade of a great rock. One of them, Belacqua, sits with his knees drawn up, too lazy to climb. Dante recognizes him and is surprised to find him here rather than in Hell. Belacqua explains that he must wait outside Purgatory for as long as he delayed repentance in life, unless aided by prayers. This episode introduces the concept of Ante-Purgatory and the punishment of the negligent, who must wait before beginning their purgation.