DANTE & THE DIVINE COMEDY

 Dante Alighieri

Born in 1265, Dante Alighieri would become one of the most famous and admired poets of all time. He wrote about everything from the afterlife to philosophy to politics. Dante usually wrote in Medieval Italian so that common people could have access to his literary works. Some details of his life remain unclear, but his works have given us additional insight into Dante's life, his passion for poetry, and his culture.

Dante was born in Medieval Florence, Italy, into a family that had some social standing. He received some formal education and developed an affinity for classic poetry (as the ancient Roman poet, Virgil) and the troubadour poetry of the late Middle Ages (which focused on chivalry and courtly love). Dante and a few other major poets of his time developed a new literary movement called Dolce stil novo or The Sweet New Style, which discussed love, deified women, and utilized metaphors, symbols, and introspection. This passionate, philosophical, and self-reflective style would come to define most of Dante's work.

Before Dante's parents died, they arranged for him to marry Gemma Donati. Although Gemma and Dante married in 1283 or 1284 and had 4 children, they did not have a happy marriage because Dante never forgot his first love, Beatrice. Dante met and fell hopelessly in love with Beatrice when he was 9, and, after her death in 1290, she would become both the inspiration for and a character in much of his poetry.

In addition to Beatrice, another theme usually appears in Dante's work: banishment. Politics in Florence was tumultuous at this time, with the rule of Florence bouncing back and forth between 2 opposing political parties: the White Guelphs and the Black Guelphs. In 1295, Dante became involved with the White Guelphs, who were ruling Florence at the time. But the Black Guelphs eventually took over, and, in 1302, they exiled several of the previous rulers, including Dante. Dante spent the next 2 decades traveling from one place to another through Italy writing poetry until his death in 1321.

The Divine Comedy

The Divine Comedy is a long poem divided into 3 books (also known as cantos or cantiche in Italian) that illustrate Dante's fictional journey through Hell (described in book 1, Inferno), Purgatory described in book 2, Purgatorio), and Heaven (described in book 3, Paradiso). Virgil guides Dante in the first two books, and Beatrice guides Dante from purgatory into heaven. 

On their journey, Dante and his guides meet several historical and literary figures who teach him about sin, repentance, and God. This work allegorically presents the Christian plan of salvation, but it also reveals important facts about Dante's life, like his love for Beatrice and his disgust for corrupt politicians and religious figures who end up in hell.

Answer:

1) Which were Dante's recurrent themes in his works and what can we infer from them?

2) How is Dante's literary style characterized?

3) Who was Dante's artistic muse? Why did he choose her?

4) Why was Dante exiled from his home city, Florence?

5) How is The Divine Comedy organized?

6) What role as a character in The Divine Comedy does Virgil play?

✵✵✵✵✵✵

Decide if the statements below are true of false. Provide evidence from the text ONLY when false:

a) Dante's works were only read and understood by a social elite.

b) According to the author, Dante's love for his wife was key to their successful marriage.

c) Before Dante's exile, Florence's political situation was relatively calm and stable.

d) We can say that The Divine Comedy permeates Dante's belief in the Afterlife.

✵✵✵✵✵✵

Video task - Tap on the image to watch a video on The Divine Comedy and complete the phrases below:

a) In order to attain salvation, Dante has to ...

b) By climbing Mount of Purgatory, Dante ...

c) Dante was devoted to God, but was particularly critical of ...

d) Dante particularly disliked ... and ...

e) ... was the buying and selling of religious favors, for example, ...

f) The ... was the faction that practiced and supported these corrupt costums.

g) Dante believed that his hometown Florence should have ...

h) Dante usually ... against ... and as a result, he was ... in 1302.

i) It was during his exile when Dante ... as a way to criticize his enemies.

j) By writing The Divine Comedy in Italian, Dante managed to ...

l) Some of Dante's real enemies appear in the realm of Inferno such as ...

m) The one who launches Dante's journey throughout the realms is ...

n) Dante describes her as a ...

o) The Divine Comedy has inspired many artists. Among them, ...

p) It was in 2008 when Florence finally ...

                                

✢✢✢✢✢✢