The course aims to provide specific tools for the approach to the study and analysis of Dante's works and of the 'Commedia'. Through the reading of a selection of Dante's works and the historical contextualization of the author, students will acquire a basic knowledge, from a historical-literary and linguistic point of view, of the peculiarities of Dante's production with hints on its reception.
teacher profile teaching materials
Dante’s works stand as literary classics that have resonated with readers across time and space, simultaneously offering the most comprehensive synthesis of Medieval European culture. This course is dedicated to a selective reading of his works, with a primary focus on his masterpiece, the Comedy. Texts will be read and analysed in English. Engaging with these texts will also enable the reconstruction of their historical, philosophical, theological, literary, and artistic contexts. The exploration of Dante’s works will revolve around nine pivotal concepts: Language; Realism and Allegory; Classical Heritage; Desire; Community and Exile; Comedy and Tragedy; Knowledge; Happiness; and Vision.
The aims of this course are to:
• Familiarise students with some of the most significant texts of the Western intellectual and literary tradition;
• Enhance students’ ability to interpret the discussed texts, taking into account current critical debates;
• Cultivate an awareness of the cultural distance between the Middle Ages and the present, with a specific emphasis on ethical, philosophical, and theological issues;
• Engage students in discussions on the relevance of Dante’s works in contemporary culture.
The Divine Comedy of Dante Alighieri, 3 voll., edited and translated by Robert M. Durling; introduction and notes by Roland L. Martinez and Robert M. Durling; illustrations by Robert Turner. New York-Oxford, Oxford University Press, 1997-2011 (selections); the volumes are accessible online through the university library.
Dante Alighieri, Vita Nova, translation, introduction, and notes by Andrew Frisardi, Evanston (IL), Northwestern University Press, 2012.
Programme
Delving into Dante: a Guided Journey through Nine Essential ThemesDante’s works stand as literary classics that have resonated with readers across time and space, simultaneously offering the most comprehensive synthesis of Medieval European culture. This course is dedicated to a selective reading of his works, with a primary focus on his masterpiece, the Comedy. Texts will be read and analysed in English. Engaging with these texts will also enable the reconstruction of their historical, philosophical, theological, literary, and artistic contexts. The exploration of Dante’s works will revolve around nine pivotal concepts: Language; Realism and Allegory; Classical Heritage; Desire; Community and Exile; Comedy and Tragedy; Knowledge; Happiness; and Vision.
The aims of this course are to:
• Familiarise students with some of the most significant texts of the Western intellectual and literary tradition;
• Enhance students’ ability to interpret the discussed texts, taking into account current critical debates;
• Cultivate an awareness of the cultural distance between the Middle Ages and the present, with a specific emphasis on ethical, philosophical, and theological issues;
• Engage students in discussions on the relevance of Dante’s works in contemporary culture.
Core Documentation
Course readings:The Divine Comedy of Dante Alighieri, 3 voll., edited and translated by Robert M. Durling; introduction and notes by Roland L. Martinez and Robert M. Durling; illustrations by Robert Turner. New York-Oxford, Oxford University Press, 1997-2011 (selections); the volumes are accessible online through the university library.
Dante Alighieri, Vita Nova, translation, introduction, and notes by Andrew Frisardi, Evanston (IL), Northwestern University Press, 2012.
Reference Bibliography
Recommended books and sites: Dante in Context, edited by Zygmunt Barański and Lino Pertile, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2015 The Cambridge Companion to Dante's Commedia, edited by Zygmunt Barański, Samuel Gilson, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2017 The Oxford Handbook of Dante, edited by Manuele Gragnolati, Elena Lombardi, and Francesca Southerden, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2021 Alison Cornish, Believing in Dante: Truth in Fiction, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2022 Elisa Brilli and Giuliani Milani, Dante's New Lives. Biography and Autobiography, Chicago, The University of Chicago Press, 2023 https://digitaldante.columbia.edu/ (editor in chief: Teodolinda Barolini) https://www.danteonline.it/opere/ (with English translations of all Dante’s works)Type of evaluation
Students will be asked to write a critical essay on a theme related to the course topic. They will receive guidance in choosing a subject and in finding the relevant bibliography. The evaluation will primarily be based on the essay, while also considering the contribution to class discussions.