So far, throughout Dante’s journey, we have learned that souls direct themselves into their proper realm of Hell, Purgatory or Paradise. We have also thought that souls were mainly determined to be located in a circle and domain relating to their life's sins or virtues, although this changes as we encounter more shades. Expecting “sinful” people to be in hell is a banality or cliche, but as we travel further in the Commedia, the misdeeds and wrongdoings of an individual can still mean they can rejoice in the afterlife. Meeting Cato at the beginning of Purgatory, made reader's question or all determining factors. This I mistakenly took for Dante altering our minds and question ourselves, though a much deeper meaning broadens as we meet other “sinful” individuals in “purer” realms. …show more content…
As other encounters in Inferno had taught us suicides resulted in one’s afterlife to be in Hell’s eternal fire, but without all factors of one's life, we now understand that one component does not determine a person’s fate. This becomes much clearer during the conversations in Canto 9 with Cuzzina, whose mortal life was driven by Venus’ power. She had been consumed by the goddess’ influence. However, she had accepted and forgiven herself. Her realization of her wrongdoings and the acceptance had overpowered any other aspects that could have placed her in a different afterlife location. I believe what Dante is communicating to the readers metaphorically or allegorically is that we have humans have a significant tendency to have to