Commentary Inf XXVII 112-114

Markulin (Mark.1982.1) considers the possibility that Guido has invented the battle between St. Francis and the black Cherub (a member of the second highest rank of angels, associated with knowledge). Discomfort with the scene has been abroad for a while. Castelvetro (DDP Castelvetro.Inf.XXVII.114) did not hide his annoyance, seeing that Dante had portrayed the soul of Francis as having made an error in thinking that Guido was to be saved and thus could not possibly have been sent from heaven by God (and was consequently wasting his time), for which reasons he criticizes Dante for not speaking with greater reverence.

Guido's son Bonconte will be caught up in a similar struggle between devil and angel, with the angel winning ([Purg V 104-105]). Such a scene may find justification in medieval popularizing art, but Castelvetro is right to complain about its theological absurdities. On the other hand, Dante is writing a poem and not a treatise. That he repeats the motif would seem to indicate that we are meant to take it 'seriously.' See C.Inf.XXIII.131. On the other hand, it also seems possible, or even likely, that Dante (or Guido himself) has invented this encounter between Francis and a fallen Cherub in order to put the listener in mind of the continual fracas between Francis's order, typified by its Seraphic ardor, and Dominic's, typified by its association with Cherubic knowledge. For an earlier and more or less similar appreciation see DDP Carroll.Inf.XXVII.112-129.