Dante and the beatitudes: moral transformation in 'Purgatorio'

Dante’s dependence on scholastic theologians can explain the seemingly peculiar presence of the beatitudes in Purgatorio. In this essay we will first address how the beatitudes are a structural element of Purgatorio, and which theological sources may have inspired their use. This allows us to address the relation between each beatitude and the sin that has been purged. Together, these insights lead to the conclusion that in Purgatorio the beatitudes are markers of the process of moral transformation.