Dante's The Divine Comedy:
Inferno
Purgatorio
Paradiso
Description
Dante's journey through Hell to Paradise takes place in Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso, the divine locations and books renowned for their themes of light and dark, shadow, song, and ritual. Who will the pilgrim Dante meet while with his guides Virgil, Beatrice, Matilda, St. Bernard, and his ultimate guide, the Lord?
Author Background
DANTE ALIGHIERI:
One of the greatest poets in the history of world literature, Italian writer Dante Alighieri composed poetry influenced by classical and Christian tradition. Dante’s greatest work was the epic poem La divina commedia (1321?; The Divine Comedy, 1802). It includes three sections: the Inferno (Hell), in which the great classical poet Virgil leads Dante on a trip through hell; the Purgatorio (Purgatory), in which Virgil leads Dante up the mountain of purification; and the Paradiso (Paradise), in which Dante travels through heaven. This passage from the Inferno (recited by an actor) comes at the beginning of the epic, when Dante loses his way in the woods. The illustration shows Dante standing in front of the mountain of Purgatory, with hell on his right and heaven on his left. (Encarta Reference Library 2005)
Microsoft ® Encarta ® Reference Library 2005. © 1993-2004 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
Further reading (See these titles to learn about the history of Florence, the political turmoil of the city
during the 13-14th century, and Dante's life and work as 'la altissimo poeta')
Click on each of the titles to visit their homes on www.amazon.com - Maybe you would like to buy them, perhaps? You know you want to!!
La Vita Nuova
Dante's Lyric Poems
Dino Compagni's Chronicle of Florence
Giovanni Boccaccio's Life of Dante
Rachel Jacoff's Cambridge Companion to Dante
Check out my website on Medieval Florence that I had to build for my Dante class at Drew!
http://users.drew.edu/mjasterz/indexjasterzbski.htm
Bookclub questions
Reading Refreshers: Questions to remind you about the basics of The Divine Comedy...
Inferno
1. What Christian holiday frames the setting of this and all the books from the beginning?
2. Who is Dante's guide and why? Can this guide go with him to Paradise?
3. How are the different terraces of Hell set up?
Purgatorio
1. What is different about the souls here versus those in Hell?
2. Where do we see ideas of baptism in this book?
3. What hymn/psalm is referenced in this book and why?
4. How are the different realms of Purgatory set up?
Paradiso
1. How are the different spheres of Heaven set up? Why does Dante (like all humans) view them this way?
2. Who are Dante's guides here?
3. What do the Eagle and the Griffen represent? What is the Celestial Rose?
4. Why is St. Bernard present?
5. What does Dante say about language and art failing in the presence of the Divine Vision?
Inferno
1. Why must Dante descend Hell before he ascends Heaven?
2. Why do you think Dante refers to "the lake within his heart" at the same time that he refers to "dangerous waters" (Inf. I. 21-4)?
3. What is your 'favorite' (or most hellishly memorable) punishment from the Inferno? Why?
4. Do you think that Virgil deserves to be banned from Heaven because he was born before the time of Christianity? What do you think about this Divine policy?
5. What is the significance of the old man and the rivers of Hell in XIV? What is the connection to the political situation in Florence?
6. How are the outward punishments of Hell just an extension of the sinners' earthly lives (i.e. - their sins on earth)?
Purgatorio
1. Dante makes reference to light, dark, and shadow (or shades) in this book. What does this add to the book? Why do you think he chose these images?
2. The ideas of baptism in this book go beyond images of water. How does the Our Father, the idea of Dante's many guides, the girding of the rush, the dew that washes Dante's face, the regeneration of the plant, and ideas of anointing also relate to baptism? Why do you think Dante put so much emphasis on this sacrament?
3. Why does Dante keep mentioning the color green? The dichotomy of left and right?
4. Mant critics see this stage and book as the one most important to Dante because the Christian life is "continually purgational" as critic Dunstan Tucker notes in his article Baptism in Dante's Purgatorio. Do you think this is true?
5. How does Dante react to Beatrice, and is his reaction what you expected?
Paradiso
1. How are the different spheres of Heaven set up? Why does Dante (like all humans) view them this way?
2. Who are Dante's guides here and why?
3. What do the Eagle and the Griffen represent? What is the Celestial Rose and why is it called the Celestial Rose?
4. Why is Saint John referenced so often as the antithesis of Mars, the god of war?
5. Do you think Dante is portrayed as self-involved when discussing his own art so often in The Comedy? Is this actually a sign of poetic humility? (Not to give my opinion, but I think it is humility!)
6. After reading the entire Divine Comedy, why do you think Dante is so often alluded to in literature?
Art Resource, NY/Scala/(p) 1994 Microsoft Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
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