The Ferrymen

      When I read Canto 2 of Purgatorio, I couldn't help but notice the starking contrast between the Angel and the souls he carries, and Charon and Phlygeas of Inferno and the souls they carried. Despite the fact that all three are ferryman, the Angel is kind and bright, whereas Charon and Phlygeas were angry, and in the blackness of Hell.
      Charon shouts out Virgil and Dante: "woe to you, wicked wouls!"and Virgil tells him to stop torturing himself with anger, because he will have to ferry them across whether he wants to or not - it is the divine will (3.83-84). The souls he transports wail, gnash their teeth, and curse God, their parents and the human race, among other things.
      Phlygeas, just like Charon, tells Dante "now you are caught, wicked soul!" And again, Virgil must tell him to contain his anger, because he will need to transport them across the river (8.18). As they are ferried, they come across souls in the muck, such as Filippo Argenti, whom the others soul tear apart with their teeth.
      The Angel, completely unlike Charon and Phlygeas, emits a light so bright that Dante is blinded by it. In addition to his beauty, he is kind: he blesses the souls before the de-board the boat, making the sign of the cross over them. The souls transported by the Angel are also very different from the souls carried by Charon and those Dante and Virgil see while they're with Phlygeas: rather than shouting profanities in "strange languages, horrible tongues," they sing a song (3.25).
     I decided to represent the strong contrast I found between the different ferrymen in my collage, also because I loved the beautiful imagery in Canto 2 of Purgatorio. The light orange sky, the shining light, and the sparkling sea.