Italian Studies 332 - Finding Dante: The Inferno

This course focuses on Inferno, the first canticle of the Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri (1265- 1321), the culture that originated it, and connections with today’s world. In particular, the course pays attention to Dante’s ties to classical and medieval Christian culture, his political views, his ideas on language, his involvement in contemporary intellectual debates, his efforts to use poetry for ethical and religious ends, and his literary experimentation. During the harrowing descent into the deepest spires of Hell, students understand Dante in light of medieval culture and medieval culture in light of Dante. As such, students experience Dante’s Inferno in its original beauty and make his fears, concerns, and desires theirs. Taught in Italian.