The first three spheres (which fall within the shadow of the Earth) are associated with deficient

forms of Fortitude, Justice, and Temperance. The next four are associated with positive examples of Prudence, Fortitude, Justice, and Temperance; while Faith, Hope, and Love appear together in the eighth sphere.

EARTH

AIR

First Sphere:

The MOON
FIRE AIR

INCONSTANCY

Second Sphere:

MERCURY
MOON FIRE AIR

Third Sphere:

VENUS
MERCURY MOON FIRE AIR

EARTHLY LOVE

Fourth Sphere:

The SUN
VENUS MERCURY MOON FIRE AIR

PRUDENCE

Fifth Sphere:

MARS
SUN VENUS MERCURY MOON FIRE AIR

FORTITUDE

Sixth Sphere:

JUPITER
MARS
SUN VENUS MERCURY MOON FIRE

AIR

JUSTICE

Seventh Sphere:

SATURN
JUPITER
MARS
SUN
VENUS MERCURY MOON FIRE

AIR

TEMPERANCE

Eighth Sphere:

The CONSTELLATIONS
SATURN JUPITER
MARS
SUN
VENUS MERCURY MOON FIRE AIR

SOULS

Ninth Sphere:

PRIMUM MOBILE
CONSTELLATIONS SATURN JUPITER
MARS SUN VENUS MERCURY MOON
FIRE AIR

ANGELS

EMPYREAN
CONSTELLATIONS SATURN JUPITER
MARS SUN VENUS MERCURY MOON
FIRE AIR

EMPYREAN

PRIMUM MOBILE
CONSTELLATIONS SATURN JUPITER MARS SUN VENUS MERCURY MOON
FIRE AIR

Canto 1 : The Ascent to First Heaven

Dantes journey to Paradiso begins at midday at the top of Mount Purgatory, together with Beatrice as his guide.

Dante and Beatrice flies upward, ascending through the sphere of fire. Throughout the Paradiso Dante makes inspired use of patterns of light, motion, and sound to describe the splendor of heaven.

Canto 1. Dante and Beatrice going to the Moon

Canto 2-4:

The Sphere of the Moon

The INCONSTANT

On visiting the Moon, Beatrice explains to Dante the reasons for the markings on its surface, Beatrice explains that all light emanates from Heaven but penetrates the universe in varying degrees.

She also praises the experimental method in general (Canto II):

"Yet an experiment, were you to try it, could free you from your cavil, and the source of your arts' course springs from experiment." In the first Heaven of the Moon, symbol of Inconstancy, Dante meets the blessed spirits of nuns who were inconstant in their vows and so were deficient to the virtue of fortitude.

Here Dante and Beatrice meet Piccarda, sister of Dante's friend Forese Donati, who died shortly after being forcibly removed from her convent. They also meet Empress Constance of Sicily, who was forcibly removed from a convent to marry Henry VI (Canto III). Beatrice discourses on the freedom of the will, the sacredness of vows, and the importance of not collaborating with force (Canto IV).

"for will, if it resists, is never spent, but acts as nature acts when fire ascends, though force a thousand times tries to compel.

So that, when will has yielded much or little, it has abetted force as these souls did: they could have fled back to their holy shelter."

Beatrice explains that a vow is a pact "drawn between a man and God," in which a person freely offers up his free will as a gift to God. Vows should therefore not be taken lightly, and should be kept once given unless keeping the vow would be a greater evil.

Canto 3. Dante and Beatrice speak to Piccarda and Constance

Canto 5-7:

The Sphere of Mercury The AMBITIOUS

The entrance of Dante and Beatrice to the second Heaven of Mercury is marked by an increase in the light of Beatrice, a phenomenon that accompanies all the successive rises from sphere to sphere.

Because of its proximity to the sun, the planet Mercury is often difficult to see. Allegorically, the planet represents those who did good out of a desire for fame, but who, being ambitious, were deficient in the virtue of justice. Their earthly glory pales into insignificance beside the glory of God, just as Mercury pales into insignificance beside the sun.

Here Dante meets the Emperor Justinian, who introduces himself with the words "Caesar I was and am Justinian," indicating that his personality remains, but that his earthly status no longer exists in Heaven (Canto V). Emperor Justinian believed in the divine nature but not the human nature of Christ until Pope Agapetus imbued him with the true faith. He was thereby inspired to reform the laws.

Canto 5. Emperor Justinian

Canto 8-9:

The Sphere of Venus

The EARTHLY LOVERS

The planet Venus (the Morning and Evening Star) is traditionally associated with the goddess of Love, and so Dante makes this the planet of the lovers, who were deficient in the virtue of temperance.

Here, Dante meets Charles Mortel, he explains the power of the stars in giving diversified endowments to mortals which cannot be altered. Others whose love was wrongly directed now speak to Dante. Cunizza da Romano tells that her past lustfulness no longer grieves her, berates her countrymen, and mentions a number of local events.

Folco of Marseilles speaks to Dante, reiterating the theme that the souls in Paradise do not lament their previous sins but are filled with joy in contemplation of the Divine.
He condemns the city of Florence (planted, he says, by Satan) for producing that "damned flower" (the florin) which is responsible for the corruption of the Church, and he criticizes the clergy for their focus on money, rather than on Scripture and the writings of the Church Fathers (Canto IX).

The Florin or damned flower According to Folco

Folquet de Marseilles bemoans the corruption of the Church, with the clergy receiving money from Satan ), Canto 9.

Canto 10-13:

The Sphere of the Sun PRUDENCE

Beyond the shadow of the Earth, Dante deals with positive examples of Prudence, Justice, Temperance, and Fortitude. Within the Sun, which is the Earth's source of illumination, Dante meets the greatest examples of prudence: the souls of the wise, who help to illuminate the world intellectually (Canto X).

Initially, a circle of twelve bright lights dance around Dante and Beatrice. These are the souls of Thomas Aquinas, Albertus Magnus, Gratian, Peter Lombard, King Solomon, Dionysius the Areopagite, Orosius, Boethius, Isidore of Seville, Bede, Richard of Saint Victor, and Sigier of Brabant.
This includes philosophers, theologians and a king, and has representatives from across Europe. Thomas Aquinas recounts the life of St. Francis of Assisi, and his love for "Lady Poverty" (Canto XI).

Twelve new bright lights appear, one of which is St. Bonaventure, a Franciscan, who recounts the life of St. Dominic, founder of the order to which Aquinas belonged. The two orders were not always friendly on earth, and having members of one order praising the founder of the other shows the love present in Heaven (Canto XII).

The twenty-four bright lights revolve around Dante and Beatrice, singing of the Trinity, and Aquinas explains the surprising presence of King Solomon, who is placed here for kingly, rather than philosophical or mathematical wisdom (Cantos XIII and XIV).

Just before leaving the Heaven of the Sun, Dante perceives the first of four great spectacles. This image is succeeded immediately by the second spectacle of star-rays forming a Cross, whereby Dante comes to know that he has risen to the Heaven of Mars.

Dante and Beatrice meet twelve wise men in the Sphere of the Sun , Canto 10.

Dante and Beatrice speak to the teachers of wisdom Thomas Aquinas, Albertus Magnus, Peter Lombard and Sigier of Brabant in the Sphere of the Sun Canto 10.

Canto 14-18:

The Sphere of Mars FORTITUDE

The planet Mars is traditionally associated with the god of War, and so Dante makes this planet the home of the warriors of the Faith, who gave their lives for God, thereby displaying the virtue of fortitude.

Dante meets his ancestor Cacciaguida, who "You shall the Second you love Cacciaguida served in leave everythingCrusade. most dearly: praisesthis is the arrow that the bow of exile the twelfth-century Republic of Florence, andshoots first. You are to know the bitter city has bemoans the way in which the taste declined since those days (Cantos XV and XVI). of others' bread, how salt it is, and the The setting of the Divine Comedy inknow year 1300, how hard aDante'sis for one who goes before path it exile, has allowed descending and ascending others' bad things characters in the poem to "foretell" stairs." for Dante. In response to a question from Dante, Cacciaguida speaks the truth bluntly. Dante will be exiled (Canto XVII).

However, Cacciaguida also charges Dante to write and tell the world all that he has seen of Hell, Purgatory, and Heaven. Finally, Dante sees some other warriors of the Faith, such as Joshua, Judas Maccabeus, Charlemagne, Roland, and Godfrey of Bouillon (Canto XVIII).

Joshua, Judas Maccabeus, Charlemagne, Roland, and Godfrey of Bouillon , Warriors of Faith.

Canto 18-20:

The Sphere of Jupiter

JUSTICE
The planet Jupiter is traditionally associated with the king of the gods, and so Dante makes this planet the home of the rulers who displayed justice. The souls here spell out the Latin for "Love justice, ye that judge the earth", after which the final "M" of that sentence is transformed into the shape of a giant imperial eagle (Canto XVIII).

The eagle names the souls which forms its eyes. The souls present in the Heaven of Jupiter are David, Hezekiah, Trajan (converted to Christianity according to a medieval legend), Constantine, William II of Sicily, and Ripheus the Trojan.

Dante was amazed when he saw Ripheus the Trojan, a pagan saved by the mercy of God. The souls forming the imperial eagle speak with one voice, and tell of God's justice (Cantos XIX and XX).

An imperial eagle. The souls forming the final "M" of "TERRAM" transform themselves into this shape, Canto 18.

Canto 21-22:

The Sphere of Saturn TEMPERANCE

Following the images of Trinity, Cross, and Eagle, the Heaven of Saturn is marked by the ladder of Contemplation (Jacobs ladder). Dante here meets Peter Damiani and Benedict, who are notable for their insistence on rigorous monastic discipline.

Dante and Beatrice meet Peter Damien, who tells of his life, and discusses predestination ,Canto 21.

Canto 23-27: The Sphere of the Fixed Stars

The Elect: FAITH, HOPE, & LOVE

The sphere of the Fixed Stars is the sphere of the Church Triumphant. From here ), Dante looks back on the seven spheres he has visited, and on the Earth (Canto XXII).

"Say, who assures you that those works were real? came the reply. sees the that needs Here, Dante The very thingVirgin Mary and proof no thing else attests these works to you. other saints (Canto XXIII). St Peter tests Dante

on faith, asking what it is, and whether Dante I said: If without miracles the world has it. In response to Dante's reply, St. Peter was turned to Christianity, that is asks Dante miracle that, all the rest Bible is true, so great a how he knows that the and (in an argument attributed to Augustine) Dantenot its hundredth part: for you were poorgrowth are cites the miracle of the Church's and hungry when beginnings field and sowed from such humbleyou found the (Canto XXIV):
the good plant once a vine and now a thorn."

St. James questions Dante on hope, and Beatrice vouches for his possession of it (Canto XXV): "There is no child of the Church Militant who has more hope than he has, as is written within the Sun whose rays reach all our ranks: thus it is granted him to come from Egypt into Jerusalem that he have vision of it, before his term of warring ends."

Finally, St. John questions Dante on love. In his reply, Dante refers back to the concept of "twisted love" discussed in the Purgatorio Canto XXVI):
"Thus I began again: My charity results from all those things whose bite can bring the heart to turn to God; the world's existence and mine, the death that He sustained that I might live, and that which is the hope of all believers, as it is my hope, together with living knowledge I have spoken of these drew me from the sea of twisted love and set me on the shore of the right love. The leaves enleaving all the garden of the Everlasting Gardener, I love according to the good He gave to them.

St. Peter, founder of papacy, denounces popes and clergy of Dantes time. Looking downward toward earth, Dante rises with Beatrice, now even more incandescent, into the Primum Mobile, the origin of time and space, bounded not by space but only by Divinity.

Looking down from the Sphere of the Fixed Stars, Dante sees the humble planet that is the Earth, Canto 22.

St. John questions Dante on the subject of Charity, one of the three ecclesiastical virtues.

Canto 27-29: The Sphere of the Primum Mobile

The ANGELS
The Primum Mobile or Prime Mover ("first moved" sphere) is the last sphere of the physical universe. It is moved directly by God, and its motion causes all the spheres it encloses to move (Canto XXVII).

The Primum Mobile is the abode of angels, and here Dante sees God as an intensely bright point of light surrounded by nine rings of angels. Beatrice explains the creation of the universe, and the role of the angels, ending with a forceful criticism of the preachers of the day (Canto XXIX).

Beatrice criticizes the preachers of the day, suggesting that a sinister "bird" (a winged demon) nests in the preacher's cowl

Beatrice hovers beside a circle of stars within which St. Peter girds the kneeling Dante with a cord; Faith carrying a cross

Canto 30-33:

The EMPYREAN
The Abode of God and the Redeemed
From the Primum Mobile, Dante ascends to a region beyond physical existence, the Empyrean, which is the abode of God. Beatrice, representing theology, is here transformed to be more beautiful than ever before, and Dante becomes enveloped in light, rendering him fit to see God (Canto XXX).

Dante sees an enormous rose, symbolizing divine love, the petals of which are the enthroned souls of the faithful (both those of the Old Testament and those of the New). All the souls he has met in Heaven, including Beatrice, have their home in this rose. Angels fly around the rose like bees, distributing peace and love. Beatrice now returns to her place in the rose, signifying that Dante has passed beyond theology in directly contemplating God, and St. Bernard, as a mystical contemplative, now guides Dante further (Canto XXXI).

St. Bernard further explains predestination, and prays to the Virgin Mary on Dante's behalf. Finally, Dante comes face-to-face with God Himself (Cantos XXXII and XXXIII). God appears as three equally large circles occupying the same space, representing the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Within these circles Dante can discern the human form of Christ.

The Divine Comedy ends with Dante trying to understand how the circles fit together, and how the humanity of Christ relates to the divinity of the Son but, as Dante puts it, "that was not a flight for my wings. In a flash of understanding, which he cannot express, Dante does finally see this, and his soul becomes aligned with God's love:

"But already my desire and my will were being turned like a wheel, all at one speed, by the Love which moves the sun and the other stars."

The three circles of the Trinity, Canto 33.

Dante in the Empyrean, Drinking at the River of Light