ENGLISH LITERATURE (CBSE/UGC NET)

Detailed explanation-1: -What is purgatory? Purgatory is the state of those who die in God’s friendship, assured of their eternal salvation, but who still have need of purification to enter into the happiness of heaven.

Detailed explanation-2: -purgatory, the condition, process, or place of purification or temporary punishment in which, according to medieval Christian and Roman Catholic belief, the souls of those who die in a state of grace are made ready for heaven.

Detailed explanation-3: -noun. pur·ga·to·ry ˈpər-gə-ˌtōr-ē-ˌtȯr-plural purgatories. : a state after death in which according to Roman Catholic belief the souls of those who die in God’s grace are purified of their sins by suffering.

Detailed explanation-4: -While the idea of purgatory as a process of cleansing thus dated back to early Christianity, the 12th century was the heyday of medieval otherworld-journey narratives such as the Irish Visio Tnugdali, and of pilgrims’ tales about St. Patrick’s Purgatory, a cavelike entrance to purgatory on a remote island in Ireland.

Detailed explanation-5: -The only punishment mentioned was fire. One important part of the standard view of Purgatory in Dante’s day was that, after death, it was no longer possible to have freedom of choice. This meant that the souls in Purgatory were not expected to become morally better: it was too late for that.