Piccarda Donati

In her acquiescence to Corso's wishes for her to marry, though forced, Piccarda is shown as having neglected her vows to God.

For example, we learn that souls in Heaven become much more beautiful than they were on Earth; in fact, it takes Dante a while to actually recognize Piccarda as the woman he knew.

Her answer (she does not wish to be higher) highlights another important point: according to Piccarda, blessed souls long only for what they have, and so their wills are entirely in agreement with that of God.

As with other prominent female characters in the Divine Comedy such as Francesca da Rimini and Pia de' Tolomei, Piccarda is a woman whose life, freedom, and personal choices were affected by the political interests of their close family members, whether by kin or marriage.

Piccarda's life and placement in Paradise plays an important role when discussing freedom, specifically in the context of civic versus spiritual responsibility.

According to Dante, she serves as a case study to illustrate the strength it takes to ensure that a person's will is not contaminated by outside interferences and the importance of choosing God above all.