Paradiso, Heaven, and the Rose: Theory Crafting for Dante's True Purpose
While looking the Divine Comedy, something really stood out to me at the end. The final tier of Heaven, the Empyrean is described as a Rose, which has some obvious parallels to the story in Limbus so far. Specifically at the end of Canto 6, where Demian appears again, and uses the Roses as a metaphor to describe a moral quandary to Dante about caring for a "Rose" and realizing the one you cared specifically for was yours alone despite there being others in the world
Dante however in almost opposition to Demian shows concern for the other Roses that have bloomed, which Demian seems apathetic for.
I would like to think with the Divine Trilogy influence, that there has to be an over-arching force watching over Dante similar to God within the Trilogy. There have been vague notions with Faust that things are just "bound to happen" or almost as if it were a natural flow of the universe that certain events will happen, which could represent the will of God himself. Similarly, there are biblical influences with Dante and the 12 sinners, being Christ and his Disciples.
Dante could be an assumed identity, and his true purpose would be to absolve the sins of the city through his own sacrifice and return to the side of the father in heaven, thus completing the image of the rose, a unified, complete, and perfect heaven.
The most glaring detail is some of the first art we see of Dante. The Star.
The most famous depiction of the Empyrean by Gustave Doré, and it is almost 1 for 1 the image of Dante looking at his star. Spiral and all. However, this takes place at the end of the trilogy, and Dante is with Beatrice while gazing upon it. Our Dante can see this completed version of heaven no matter where he is which would imply an innate divine connection to view it especially since mortal eyes who viewed the Empyrean would not be able to physically or mentally handle it unless that had been fully redeemed (such as the path Novel Dante took through hell and purgatory)
Another anecdotal support for the Christ symbolism would be the "Gates oF Hell" Dante visits to revive the sinners. During the period between the Crucifixion and Resurrection Christ descends to hell/hades to proclaim to the imprisoned spirits (1 Peter 3:18-19) and in Revelation 1:18 he claims he holds the keys to death and hades.
The Crucifixion could be the "Death" of who Dante used to be, meaning his newfound ability to bring the sinners from death is a 1:1 with Christ's descent to hell to proclaim to and save the righteous, while his Resurrection could be Dante regaining his memories.
This could also go deeper with the recent Canto 9, where the fruit of the tree of boughs being mentioned and the fruit. The Library was made from the seed of light, and if it were fully realized into a full tree, (Considering the library collected all manners of knowledge) it would become a Literal tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The "Apple" Faust has to collect that the Gesselschaft mentioned would lead to the downfall of mankind as it did in the bible which lines up with Faust's literature being about a deal with the devil. As in the bible Eve was convinced by Satan to partake in the fruit.
Either way, spitballing some post Canto 9 theories I've been mulling over for a bit now, any thoughts or opinions?