ITAL 237 - The Hell with Dante! A Journey to Inferno

Semester Offered: Fall
1 unit(s)

Written at the beginning of the fourteenth century, Dante’s Inferno is one of the greatest, most quoted and misquoted works of literature of all times. First of three instalments in a journey in the afterlife (along with Purgatory and Paradise) Inferno has fascinated readers for centuries, combining visionary poetry with philosophical speculation. In this class, we don’t follow Inferno in the right sequence of its thirty-four cantos. Instead, we de-structure our reading in modules that explore matters of politics and faith, ethics and poetry, intercultural relations, as well as contemporary adaptations of this masterpiece of medieval art. A selection of secondary sources help appreciate the complexity of Inferno in its context and in its reception, developing our sense of aesthetic appreciation for cultural products that were born far in space and time, but that continue to speak to us. Alberto Gelmi.

Open to all classes.

May be counted towards the Italian major.

Two 75-minute periods.

Course Format: CLS