A course focused on Dante’s Inferno, along with other major works, and how they are still valuable to the contemporary world. Dante Alighieri is mostly known for The Divine Comedy, the story of a journey through the budello of the Inferno, the enormous mountain of the Purgatorio, and the infinity of Paradiso. Through vivid images and memorable verses, the vicissitudes of the pilgrim Dante offer endless insight, and severe critiques, on virtually every aspect of Medieval culture (politics, religion, theology, love, philosophy, geography, medicine, and more). What makes Dante a literary giant, still worth reading? What did he read, which themes interested him, and why? How did he discuss them? What is the system of punishment and reward he created in The Comedy? And what would Dante write about today? Through a mix of seminar and brief lectures, we will discuss these and many more questions, relatively to The Comedy, as well as to some of Dante’s other works. Together, we will also look for contemporary references to Dante, in Italy and beyond, for instance in novels, comic books, music, theater-dance, and documentaries. Possible extra sessions for those who wish to discuss in Italian. (Not offered 2024-25).

1 unit

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