At first glance, it does not appear that Dante's Purgatory has a central theme of freedom. However, the majority of its premises relate to those of freedom and free will. Free will is the dictionary form of freedom; thus, they can be interchangeable. As humans, God has given us all the choice to do whatever we wish, whether good or bad, and this ability to choose is that of free will. Dante's journey through the afterlife is ultimately a quest for freedom, and this essay will explain how the theme of free will is presented. The first instance of freedom in Purgatorio can be seen in Canto I; Cato challenges Dante and Virgil by questioning whether divine law has been broken because Dante is still a man and yet he has traveled all the way to Hell (46-48). Furthermore, Virgil says to Cato, regarding Dante: “May it please you to welcome him – he goes / in search of freedom, and how dear it is, / he who gives life for it knows it good” (Purgatorio, Canto I, 70-72). That is, Virgil tries to plead with Cato to allow him and Dante to continue their journey, and he explains that Dante is a man seeking freedom. Furthermore, according to Verschoyle, this call is Virgil trying to show Cato that Dante is currently engaged in the search for freedom (184), and that any man seeking freedom should not be hindered. Dante's journey through Hell would be meaningless if he could not climb Mount Purgatory to reach the earthly paradise; therefore, his search for freedom, through all these trials and tribulations, ultimately appeals to Cato through that of love. In Canto XVII, Virgil gives a great overview of the two types of love. As Morgan states "Dante learns the goodness of the natural...... middle of paper ......d, learns to forgive himself, and he must have understood what is wrong with using love the wrong way.” . So on his journey he learned that he can, on his own, make the right choices of love through his own free will, because God has given us the will to choose. Works Cited Morgan, Gerald. “Natural and Spiritual Movements of Love in the Soul: An Explanation of “Purgatorio,” XVIII. 16-39.” The Modern Language Review 80.2 (1985): 320. JSTOR. Internet. April 1, 2014. Puchner, Martin. "Purgatory." The Norton Anthology of World Literature. 3rd ed. New York: WW Norton & Co., 2012. 512-534. Print.Triggiano, Tonia Bernardi. “Dante’s Heavenly Lessons: Educational Economy in Paradise.” Essays in Medieval Studies 26.1 (2010): 15-26. MUSE project. Internet. April 1, 2014.Verschoyle, HS “Dante’s Quest for Freedom.” Hermathena 1:30 p.m. (1904): 184-212. JSTOR. Internet. April 1. 2014.