Dante’s encounter with Cunizza illustrates God’s providence as it was explained in the previous canto. Fully understanding this passage requires some additional context from Dante’s
Inferno, in which Cunizza’s brother, Ezzelino, suffered in Hell for his cruelty as a ruler. By contrast, Cunizza is tender-hearted—showing how the results of indirect creation can be vastly different. Both Cunizza and Folco, who erred in their love during life, marvel at the perfection of God’s perfectly ordered love in Heaven. Rahab was an Old Testament prostitute who became an ancestor of Christ and whose sinful ardor is likewise made beautiful in Heaven.