A Deeper Look Into The Idea of Purgatory and The Cycle

[Taklok]

Purgatory is, according to Roman Catholic teaching, the state or place of purification or temporary punishment by which those who die in a state of grace are believed to be made ready for the Beatific Vision in Heaven. Only one who dies in a state of grace can be in Purgatory, and therefore no one who is in Purgatory will remain there forever or go to Hell. This theological notion has ancient roots and is well-attested in early Christian literature, but the poetic conception of Purgatory as a geographically existing place is largely the creation of medieval Christian piety and imagination.

The notion of Purgatory is associated particularly with the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church (in the Eastern sui juris churches or rites it is a doctrine, though it is not often called "Purgatory", but the "final purification" or the "final theosis"); Anglicans of the Anglo-Catholic tradition generally also hold to the belief, along with many Lutherans of High Church Lutheranism. John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, believed in an intermediate state between death and the final judgment and in the possibility of "continuing to grow in holiness there." The Eastern Orthodox Churches believe in the possibility of a change of situation for the souls of the dead through the prayers of the living and the offering of the Divine Liturgy, and many Orthodox, especially among ascetics, hope and pray for a general apocatastasis. A similar belief in at least the possibility of a final salvation for all is held by Mormonism.Judaism also believes in the possibility of after-death purification and may even use the word "purgatory" to present its understanding of the meaning of Gehenna. However, the concept of soul "purification" may be explicitly denied in these other faith traditions.

The word "Purgatory", derived through Anglo-Norman and Old French from the Latin word purgatorium,has come to refer also to a wide range of historical and modern conceptions of postmortem suffering short of everlasting damnation, and is used, in a non-specific sense, to mean any place or condition of suffering or torment, especially one that is temporary.

As seen by the bold and underlined text, purgatory is a state of suffering. Of everlasting damnation. I believe the Purgatory Mode in MoTD goes a bit farther than the afterlife that we have seen.

In the MoTD Behind the Scenes video, one of the developers tells us that we start out in purgatory mode. Why?

Well, at the start of the map, our characters are already dead. Yes, I am implying that our characters are currently in a hell type state of being. Think of the Greek myths, in the Fields of Punishment, where people were sent if they did wrong, and they were tortured into doing a task that will never be able to be completed. Our prisoners have already tried escaping, but they died doing so. This would in turn somewhat explain the zombies having red eyes and a new announcer.

So based off of this assumption, we can deduce that the prisoners' task would be to repeatedly try and escape the island, forever, never succeeding. This is the cycle that we hear about in the achievements. Build the plane, launch the plane, die. They will never be able to escape the prison. Now, their death wouldn't be as simple as just dieing. Nonono. That would be too simple.

In order to add insult to injury, they must electrocute themselves in the electric chair. This will send our poor, damned heroes back to the start of the map, to repeat the cycle all over again. The best part? They wouldn't retain their memories of their previous attempts, so they would unknowingly continue to escape the island, not knowing that they have died already. This is the meaning (or at least I think) behind Purgatory in Mob of The Dead.

Now, the cycle is continued once the heroes kill themselves via electrical chair, so how do we break it? Simple. We don't die because of the electric chair after we escape the island. Zombie kills us, we fall off, we blow ourselves up, etc..

What do you guys think?

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UPDATE 4/15/2013

Today, a new cinematic trailer was unveiled to us. In this trailer, the four characters are seen dying. So far, this proves the theory that they are in a state of limbo true.

Also, in Al's Diary, he mentions Icarus. I believe this is in reference to the plane we'll be building as what he is calling the plane. This to me indicates some foreshadowing that the plane is going to fall out of the sky and crash. Not the best name, eh?

[Naitrax]

Bravo Tak! Very solid theory. The only problem I have is "How does the cycle continue?"

Do you have to escape in 3 consecutive games? Or is it visit the Golden Gate Bridge 3 times?

But good job on the theory Tak.

[Taklok]

Yes, that's pretty much how it would continue. It's either/or depending on where they actually escape to. I do believe the chairs are on the Golden Gate Bridge though. As for breaking the cycle, perhaps you have to die from something that isn't the chairs? That sounds broken to me.

[Naitrax]

Yes, that's pretty much how it would continue. It's either/or depending on where they actually escape to. I do believe the chairs are on the Golden Gate Bridge though. As for breaking the cycle, perhaps you have to die from something that isn't the chairs? That sounds broken to me.

Ah. I understand now. That makes sense. Update OP with that info and you'll be (wait for it...) Golden (Gate Bridge, see what I did there?) ;)

[DeltaFlame]

I dunno about you guys, but you know the guy who is in the concept art?

I'd adore some ominous "gatekeeper"/"ferryman" like man just strutting his stuff. Other than that, the whole idea of taking your own life and just the look of the "chairs" and the whole feel based on that concept art is spine chilling.

Your theory is just spectacular and fits so perfectly however breaking the cycle and i quote

Now, the cycle is continued once the heroes kill themselves via electrical chair, so how do we break it? Simple. We don't die because of the electric chair after we escape the island. Zombie kills us, we fall off, we blow ourselves up, etc..

I don't believe this is the case, it's too elaborate too just build the plane, Fly to the bridge and then let yourself die some other way other, oh no no my friend, I think this is a larger feat than we can even imagine!

I personally had this idea that Richtofen/Maxis can break the cycle for them. I dunno why, I guess "Accept Your Fate, Begin Anew" is sorta coming to mind, oh well.

[Taklok]

Looks to me like a clothing mannequin like you would find in a store, not a person. And yes, I agree that's far too simple. It's just an idea ;D

[Stop Mocking Me0]

Or... Does a certain weasel leave himself a note saying not to get in the chairs, or build the plane again... The acheivement is named after him after all...

[Taklok]

Updated the thread with new information from the cinematic today. So far, the theory is standing pretty well.

[Stop Mocking Me0]

Icarus...

It's 6 letters... None repeat... Could it be the code word for the cypher?

[Taklok]

It's as plausible as anything else.

[Mattzs]

I know this wouldn't make sense given the fact that the we have the whole purgatory, limbo, and death concept but,

DO you think it is possible that the electric chairs aren't really electric chairs at all and are really teleporters? Like, the don't really kill you per se, but still send you to purgatory. The idea of a teleporter would tie in with our previous zombie theme of teleportation.

Ironically, Der Riese was the first map to feature the in game teleporters and this specific team assigned to make the map made Der Riese as well.

Also, do you think when we die we can switch bodies with other downed players?

Being that we don't know how you chose your own character is it entirely possible that when you die you can enter the body of another downed player? Could this be a part of the easter egg?

[Thee Crater]

I guess one thing to ponder about, is why would there be electric chairs on the Golden Gate bridge in the first place? Perhaps someone had to have known about the cycle to place them there?