Dante’s Comedy is one of the great masterpieces of Western literature. The poem is a comprehensive synthesis of the Western cultural tradition up to its time (from antiquity to the late Middle Ages), a bold experiment in language, poetics and poetic technique, and a profound exploration of Christian spirituality that has resonated with readers for over seven centuries. In this course, students will participate in a selective reading of cantos from the poem, which will be considered in its cultural (historical, literary, political, philosophical) context. This course will refer to the English translation of the poem. Class discussion will also be held in English.
The aims of this course are to:
• familiarise students with Dante’s Comedy, one of the most significant texts of the Western intellectual and literary tradition;
• develop students’ ability to analyse and interpret 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.
The aims of this course are to:
• familiarise students with Dante’s Comedy, one of the most significant texts of the Western intellectual and literary tradition;
• develop students’ ability to analyse and interpret 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.
- Teacher: katie Sparrow