1. Dante And his world

2. Active v. Passive "I opened my eyes.” "My eyes were opened."

3. Sensory and motor description

4. Ancients = passive

5. Free Will/Determinism

6. Dante: 1265 - 1321

7. Dante Gabriel Rossetti. Dante's Dream at the Time of the Death of Beatrice. 1871. Oil on canvas. Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool, UK.

8. Virgil and Dante

9. Sic semper tyrannus! (Thus always to Tyrants!)

10. “…lead them to the state of bliss.” -Dante

11. Four kinds of scriptural meaning… as Dante explains Exodus Historical (Literal)

12. Four kinds of scriptural meaning… as Dante explains Exodus Figural (Allegorical)

13. Four kinds of scriptural meaning… as Dante explains Exodus Moral (Psychological)

14. Four kinds of scriptural meaning… as Dante explains Exodus Anagogical (Spiritual)

15. Inferno’s levels of scriptural meaning Historical – autobiographical, Dante is the pilgrim Figural – pilgrim follows path of Christ Moral – pilgrim learns how to avoid suffering Anagogical – Virgil shows him the fate of souls after death

16. The Work… The Divine Comedy, a vernacular poem in 100 cantos (more than 14,000 lines), was composed in exile. It is a magnificent synthesis of the medieval outlook, picturing a changeless universe ordered by God.

17. The Work… This is the first work written in Italian Vulgare rather that Latin which helped to establish a national language (like Canterbury Tales did in England). Written in Terza Rima = aba bcb cdc ded……. This is a very difficult scheme.

18. Acquainted with the Night Robert Frost I have been one acquainted with the night. I have walked out in rain--and back in rain. I have outwalked the furthest city light I have looked down the saddest city lane. I have passed by the watchman on his beat And dropped my eyes, unwilling to explain.

19. Structure… After the initial canto, the three major sections of the work (The Inferno, the Purgatorio, and the Paradiso) are divided into 33 cantos, representing the age of Christ when he died. The work also represents The Trinity The Inferno represents the power of God the Father Purgatorio represents the wisdom of Christ the Son Paradiso represents the love of the Holy Spirit

20. The Work… The piece is an allegory. God’s gradual revelation to an unsuspecting and unprepared pilgrim. Through this we see a rational human soul choosing salvation of his own free will. It is called a comedy because it ends happily.

21. The Work… Dante uses real life characters and autobiographical moments as well as eschatological (the body of religious doctrines concerning the human soul in its relation to death, judgment, heaven, and hell) detail. The journey is a metaphor. The pilgrim, Dante, is Everyman.

22. The Work… Contrapasso – In Dante’s Inferno there is a logical punishment for every offence.

23. The Work… Characters: Dante the poet = universal Dante the Pilgrim = personal Beatrice = faith and love Virgil (also a poet) = reason and logic

24. Homework… Take the levels of hell test. Where are you going? http://www.4degreez.com/misc/dante- inferno-test.mv http://www.4degreez.com/misc/dante- inferno-test.mv

25. Best tour of hell yet! http://people.eku.edu/kingt/inferno/