Cato's Back--Clearly Mad But A Bit Baffling As Well: PURGATORIO, Canto II, Lines 118 - 133

The souls off the angel's boat, Dante, and Virgil have all been enjoying a nice song on the shores of Purgatory. It's so refreshing, so pastoral . . . until Cato reappears.

His return brings up a host of problems for the end of PURGATORIO, Canto II. Join me, Mark Scarbrough, as I offer you lots of interpretive possibilities without coming to any firm conclusions . . . because that's the way we'll have the most interpretive fun with the poem.

Here are the segments for this episode of WALKING WITH DANTE:

[01:46] My English translation of the passage: PURGATORIO, Canto II, lines 118 - 133. If you'd like to read along, print it off, or drop a comment, please go to my website: markscarbrough.com.

[03:11] More about the ways humans can refuse love (according to Dante).

[05:48] The on-going dove "program" in COMEDY--comparing INFERNO, Canto V, with PURGATORIO, Canto II.

[09:54] CONVIVIO's song ends unnaturally and COMEDY's plot lurches back in motion, having been halted for a long while.

[12:42] Five ways to interpret the reappearance of Cato in PURGATORIO, Canto II.

[13:54] One, a reprimand to Dante the poet for abandoning Beatrice for a love of philosophy.

[18:53] Two, a reprimand merely to the souls off the boat, not to Dante.

[21:06] Three, a reference to Moses, the tablets of the law, and the golden calf.

[23:01] Four, a reprimand about delay to both the souls off the boat and to Dante the poet.

[26:02] Five, a ham-handed way to get the plot moving again.

[29:59] Rereading the passage: PURGATORIO, Canto II, lines 118 - 133.