2.  As the poet T. S. Eliot wrote, “Dante and Shakespeare divide the world between them, there is no third.”

3. Dante Alighieri:
An Italian from Florence—Dante advocated for less papal control/ more of a separation of church and state
Pope/Catholic church had great power and influence
Dante was a member of the nobility and an elected official who helped run Florence’s gov’t
His political party was overthrown in 1302
Officially exiled from Florence/ never returned
(eventually expatriates were able to return –after paying a heavy fine and public retribution—but Dante said “no, thanks!”

4. The Divine Comedy: A Medieval Masterpiece
Considered to be one of the greatest works of Western world literature
An epic poem of roughly 14,000 lines
Documents the physical and spiritual journey (quest) of a Christian who is also named Dante
Presents Dante’s vision of God’s judgment on every significant aspect of human life

5. The Divine Comedy: A Religious Quest
The entire journey is expected to turn Dante forever from error. It is a journey toward truth and grace in God’s favor.
The Comedy is divided into three parts:
Part 1: Recognizing sin (The Inferno)
Part 2: Rejecting sin and awaiting redemption (The Purgatorio)
Part 3: Achieving salvation through faith in divine revelation – God’s light in paradise (The Paradiso)

6. Literary Elements Allegory Symbolism The Number 3 Allusion
A literary work with two levels of meaning: the literal and the symbolic
Symbolism
The underlying meanings associated with concrete objects or actual events
The Number 3
Representative of the Christian concept of the trinity: (The Father / The Son / The Holy Spirit)
Allusion
Reference to a famous person, place, historical figure or event, work of art, or piece of literature

7. Allusions—Dante and Michaelangelo

9. Art—Dante’s Divine Comedy

10. Art—Dante’s Divine Comedy

11. Literary Elements
Dante’s Comedy contains allusions/motifs from great classical works—
Homer
Ovid
Virgil
Familiar characters and references from classic Greek/Roman myth

12. Dante’s contribution to literature….
**At this time, most writers wrote in Latin (language of scholars) **Dante—poets should write in vernacular (language of the people—in this case, Italian)

13. Literary Elements: The Use of the Number 3
The Structure: begins w/an introductory chapter then:
Three sections of 33 CANTOS (chapters)
Written in TERCETS (three-lined stanzas)
Uses a rhyme scheme called TERZA RIMA:
The middle line of one tercet rhymes with
the first and third lines of the next tercet
Example: Rhyme scheme-- aba bcb cdc ded

14. Literary Elements: The Use of the Number 3
The average Medieval life expectancy: THREE SCORE AND TEN Midway through this time frame (35 years), Dante realizes he has strayed from the True Way into the Dark Wood of Error (worldliness).

15. Literary Elements: Archetypal symbol: Use of the Number 3
The Time Frame: Dante’s quest takes place
over a three day period
Begins in Hell on Good Friday (the day of Jesus’ crucifixion)
Continues in Purgatory for the length of a day
Ends symbolically in Paradise on Easter Sunday

16. Literary Elements: The Use of the Number 3
The Plot: The entire action takes place under the guidance of three ladies:
The Virgin Mary: The mother of Jesus who mediates between God and man
Saint Lucia: The patron saint of anyone without spiritual sight
Beatrice: Dante’s love, a symbol of spiritual purity and faith who appears toward the end of the journey and who leads him to Paradise

17. Part 1: The Inferno The first section of The Divine Comedy
The best known
the most relevant to today’s culture
the most dramatic
In this section, Dante is accompanied by the Roman poet Virgil who is sent by Beatrice to act as teacher and to clarify ideas that confuse Dante
Virgil’s clear-headedness is the voice of reason and is sharply contrasted with Dante’s confusion - FOIL
The Inferno presents the structure of Hell

18. Dante’s Hell (The Inferno)
Hell is located deep inside the Earth
There are nine levels or concentric circles
At each level, Dante meets suffering souls tormented for eternity in ways that befit their sins
The condemned include people from the ancient world as well as people from Dante’s own time
The worst sinners are placed at the lowest levels
(6-9), farthest from God

19. The Circles of Hell
People who sinned but prayed for forgiveness before their deaths are found not in Hell but in Purgatory, where they labor to be free of their sins.
Those in Hell are people who tried to justify their sins and are unrepentant.
Dante’s Hell is a place of symbolic retribution
(retribution-- the distribution of rewards and punishments in a future life

20. The Breakdown: Circles 1,2,3,4 & 5* = sins of human weakness
Circles 5* 6 & 7 = involve harmful acts towards others
Circles 8 and 9 = sins of betrayal and pride (considered the worst sins of all)
*5 – The sin of wrath can go either way; it is a human weakness when turned inward; it can be harmful to others if acted out. That is why it is closest to the river Styx—closer to the next, more heinous circle.

21. The Circles of Dante’s Hell Ante-Hell Neutrals
ACHERON (upper Hell)
1. Limbo - unbaptised
2. The Lustful
3. The Gluttonous
4. The Avaricious
5. The Wrathful
STYX
6. The Heretics
PHLEGETHON
7. The Violent
Against Their Neighbors
Against Themselves & Their Possessions
Against God
8. The Fraudulent (ordinary)
Flatterers
Astrologers & Magicians
Hypocrites
Thieves
Sowers of Scandal & Schism
Falsifiers / Con Artists
9. Treachery (treacherous fraud)
CAINA
Traitors to Kin (family)
ANTENORA
Traitors to Homeland/Party
PTOLOMEA
Traitors to Guests
JUDECCA
Traitors to Benefactors
COCYTUS
LUCIFER

22. Interpretations of Dante’s Circles of Hell

23. Artistic Interpretations

24. And for all you gamers…

25. Depiction of Lucifer tormenting the greatest betrayers of all time.
Can you guess who they are?