Italian 241DA - Italian Topics Taught in English: 'Global Dante: A Journey through Hell'

In this course, we investigate what makes Dante's Divine Comedy one of the major classics of world literature, and why this poem is still relevant in today's imagination and politics. By reading Inferno (Hell) in its entirety, we will establish a foundation for Dante's influence as a national, regional and global source of inspiration across the ages, and explore the major themes of the Comedy: love, sin, freedom, religion, violence, and politics. Dante's encyclopedic knowledge will be our reference map to navigate the complexity of our age. Through in-class discussions, journal entries and peer collaboration, you will increase your academic skills and contribute to make our collective journey into hell a lively exploration of the present world.