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Canto 8
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Paradiso, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Earthly and Heavenly Justice
Creation and God’s Providence
God’s Character and Will
Vision, Knowledge, and the Pursuit of God
Language and the Ineffable
Summary
Analysis
Still in Venus, Dante is approached by another happy soul, Cunizza. She explains that, during life, she was overcome by the effects of Venus, but she doesn’t brood on this in Heaven. A soul named Folco tells Dante that he burned with passion when he was young. In Heaven, though, souls no longer lament over their past sins but instead rejoice in God’s governing providence, which beautifully transforms their earthly inclinations. He then points out the soul of Rahab, who shines especially brightly in this sphere. Finally, Folco laments the greed of the present-day Church and predicts that it will someday be purified.
Dante’s encounter with Cunizza illustrates God’s providence as it was explained in the previous canto. Fully understanding this passage requires some additional context from Dante’s Inferno, in which Cunizza’s brother, Ezzelino, suffered in Hell for his cruelty as a ruler. By contrast, Cunizza is tender-hearted—showing how the results of indirect creation can be vastly different. Both Cunizza and Folco, who erred in their love during life, marvel at the perfection of God’s perfectly ordered love in Heaven. Rahab was an Old Testament prostitute who became an ancestor of Christ and whose sinful ardor is likewise made beautiful in Heaven.
Themes
