The three steps at the foot of the gate to Purgatory proper are
an allegory for the Sacrament of Penance. They represent
recognition of and contrition for one’s sins. The first stage in
the Sacrament is contrition of the heart, represented by a step
polished a brilliant “white…so clear that [Dante] was mirrored
there.” The mirroring reflects to the soul the nature of its sin
so that it can feel shame. The second stage is confession of the
lips, symbolized by a step whose “rough-textured,” cracked and
“crumbling” appearance corresponds to the emotional turmoil a
soul should feel upon confession, as if broken by the sins the
person has committed. The third and final stage is satisfaction
by works, represented by a “flaming red” step whose color is
compared to spurting “blood.” This symbolizes the sweat and
blood the penitent should shed in laboring to redeem himself,
and recalls the blood Jesus shed on the cross when he made the
ultimate sacrifice for mankind. It is appropriate that these
steps rise just outsid