Classical and Early Modern Literature: The Odyssey, Dante's Divine Comedy, and Shakespeare's The Tempest

Comprehensive practice flashcards covering lecture material on Homer's Odyssey, Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy (Inferno, Purgatorio, Paradiso), and William Shakespeare's The Tempest.

According to MLA guidelines, how should in-text citations for drama be formatted?

Provide the act, scene, and line numbers separated by periods (for example: "Misery acquaints a man / with strange bedfellows" (2.2.40-41)).

How should long quotations of poetry (more than four lines) be formatted under MLA guidelines?

They should be set off as a block quotation without quotation marks, without slashes, breaking the lines exactly where they break in the original text.

When was William Shakespeare christened, and where was he born?

He was christened on April 26, 1564, and born in the rural town of Stratford-upon-Avon.

What theatrical acting company did Shakespeare belong to for 20 years in London?

Lord Chamberlain's Men, which was later renamed the King's Men.

What real-world historical voyage took place in 1610–1611 that likely influenced Shakespeare's writing of The Tempest?

A widely discussed 1610–1611 Virginia (VA) voyage.

How does scholar Barbara Mowat view Prospero's relationship with Caliban in "The Tempest: A Modern Perspective"?

She notes that Prospero's subjugation of Caliban has a "particularly New World flavor," portraying Prospero as an early figure of the European colonizer who brings books, language, and the power to control.

Which character from Shakespeare's The Tempest is portrayed here in the 2010 film adaptation?

Caliban.

What roles do Trinculo and Stephano play in Alonso's court in The Tempest?

Trinculo is Alonso's servant and a "court jester" type, while Stephano is Alonso's butler.

Why do some literary scholars interpret Prospero as a metaphor for Shakespeare himself?

Because The Tempest is widely viewed as Shakespeare's farewell play, symbolizing the deliberate relinquishing of his playwriting craft and dramatic power.

In Act 4 of The Tempest, what famous line does Prospero speak regarding the fleeting, dreamlike quality of life?

"We are such stuff as dreams are made on, and our little life is rounded with a sleep" (4.1.173-75).

In The Tempest Act 5, which character famously utters the phrase "O brave new world"?

Miranda (5.1.217).

What are Dante Alighieri's birth and death years, and when was he exiled from Florence?

He was born in 1265, died in 1321, and was exiled from Florence in 1302.

How did classical and medieval literary traditions define the difference between a tragedy and a comedy?

A tragedy represents the dissolution of community, human isolation, and death in high-brow language; a comedy represents the reestablishment of community ties and reconciliation (often ending in marriage) using everyday, vernacular language.

Why is Dante's epic work titled the Divine Comedy rather than a tragedy?

It depicts the soul's reconciliation with God (a spiritual marriage), is written in everyday Italian vernacular rather than Latin, and incorporates earthy, grotesque, and bawdy language.

What poetic meter and rhyme scheme did Dante invent for the Divine Comedy?

Terza rima, an interlocking three-line rhyme scheme ($aba\,bcb\,cdc\dots$).

What is the structural and theological significance of the number 3 in Dante's Divine Comedy?

It reflects the Christian Trinity and Christ's three days in the tomb; structurally, the poem has 3 canticles, 33 cantos per realm (with 34 in Inferno for a total of 100), and involves three heavenly ladies.

Who are the three heavenly ladies who intercede to initiate Dante's journey out of the dark wood?

The Virgin Mary, Saint Lucia (associated with sight), and Beatrice.

What does the theological principle of contrapasso mean in Dante's Inferno?

The principle of divine retribution where the eternal punishment of a sinner directly mirrors or inverts the nature of their sin in life.

Who are the Neutrals in Ante-Hell (the Vestibule), and what is their condition?

Souls who lived without choosing either good or evil ("lukewarm" souls, reminiscent of Revelation 3:16) who are rejected by both Heaven and Hell and forced to chase a whirling banner while being stung by wasps and hornets.

What punishment is given to the lustful in the Second Circle of Hell, and how does it fit their sin?

They are endlessly swept and battered by a dark, violent whirlwind, symbolizing how their reason was overcome and swept away by unruly carnal passions.

What historical event caused Paolo Malatesta and Francesca da Rimini to be damned together in the Second Circle?

Francesca entered an arranged marriage with Gianciotto (Giovanni) of Rimini but fell in love with his younger brother Paolo; Gianciotto discovered the affair and killed them both.

In the Fifth Circle (the River Styx), how are the Wrathful and the Sullen punished?

The Wrathful violently attack and tear at each other on the muddy surface of the Styx, while the Sullen (who succumbed to spiritual torpor or acedia) are submerged beneath the swamp, gurgling in the black mud.

What belief condemned the Epicureans (such as Farinata) to burning tombs in the City of Dis (Circle 6)?

The belief that there is no life after death and that the soul dies when the body dies.

What three rings make up the Seventh Circle of Hell (Sins of Violence)?

Violence against neighbors (tyrants and murderers in boiling blood), violence against self (suicides as trees and spoilers chased by hounds), and violence against God, nature, and art (blasphemers, sodomites, and usurers on burning sand).

How does Dante visually identify the usurers in the Seventh Circle if their faces are unrecognizable?

By the heraldic family coats of arms stamped on the heavy money purses hanging around their necks, which they stare at incessantly.

Which mythical creature, illustrated here by Gustave Doré, serves as the embodiment of Fraud and carries Dante and Virgil down the precipice?

Geryon.

What does the Italian term Malebolge mean, and what types of sins are punished there?

It translates to "evil pouches" or ditches; it comprises the ten concentric ditches of the Eighth Circle, punishing sins of ordinary fraud.

What is the sin of Simony, and how are the Simoniacs punished in the third ditch of Malebolge?

The buying or selling of sacred church offices or spiritual goods (originating from Simon Magus in Acts 8); sinners are lodged upside down in holes resembling baptismal fonts, with the soles of their feet licked by flames.

How are the Diviners, astrologers, and magicians punished in the fourth ditch of Malebolge?

Their heads are twisted backwards on their bodies, forcing them to walk backwards with tears streaming down the cleft of their buttocks.

What is baratteria (graft), and how are the grafters punished in the fifth ditch of Malebolge?

Political fraud involving the taking of bribes, kickbacks, and corruption of civic office; sinners are submerged under boiling pitch and torn with grappling hooks by the Malebranche demons (Evilclaws).

Which sinner is shown here crucified to the ground and trampled by passersby in the ditch of the Hypocrites?

Caiaphas, the High Priest who counseled that one man should die for the people.

Why is Ulysses (Odysseus) punished inside a two-forked tongue of flame in the eighth ditch of Malebolge?

He is condemned as a False or Fraudulent Counselor who used his intellect and rhetoric deceitfully and urged his men beyond the rightful boundaries set by God.

Which sinner in Canto 28 is depicted here carrying his own severed head like a lantern?

Bertran de Born.

Who are the three sinners being chewed headfirst and feet-first in the three mouths of Lucifer at the bottom of Cocytus?

Judas Iscariot (betrayer of Christ, chewed headfirst in the center mouth), Brutus, and Cassius (betrayers of Julius Caesar, hanging from the side mouths).

What structure characterizes Mount Purgatorio compared to the pit of Inferno?

Purgatorio is a mountain where souls ascend through seven terraces corresponding to the Seven Deadly Sins (Pride, Envy, Wrath, Sloth, Avarice, Gluttony, Lust), engaging in dynamic spiritual cleansing rather than static eternal punishment.

What words does Virgil speak to Dante at the summit of Mount Purgatory to crown his spiritual maturation?

"Lord of yourself I crown and mitre you" (Purgatorio XXVII.142), signifying that Dante's will has been made free, upright, and whole.

In what meter did Emily Wilson translate Homer's The Odyssey?

Iambic pentameter.

What is an apostrophé in ancient epic poetry, such as when Homer addresses Eumaeus?

A direct intrusion by the narrator speaking directly to a character (e.g., "And you, Eumaeus, answered"), designed to evoke intimacy and audience sympathy for that character.

What is an ainos in Homeric literature?

A micro-narrative related to a macro-narrative (such as a parable, fable, or embedded tale) that can only be understood if the speaker and listener share an intellectual, moral, and emotional tuning.

What instance of dramatic irony occurs when Odysseus arrives at Eumaeus's hut on Ithaca?

The audience knows that the traveling beggar is Odysseus himself, but Eumaeus does not.

Under the ancient Greek code of hospitality (xenia), what are two obligations of an honorable host?

Treating a needy guest like a brother; providing food, drink, a bath, clothing, and a seat of honor before asking their identity; offering gifts; and arranging safe transport for their onward journey.

Under the ancient Greek code of hospitality (xenia), what are two obligations of an honorable guest?

Refraining from competing with or embarrassing the host, avoiding deceit and secrecy, praising the host's generosity, and showing appreciation for what is offered.

Why do Odysseus, Penelope, and Athena frequently test other characters in The Odyssey?

To evaluate their loyalty, courage, and true character through concrete actions and words, thereby re-establishing trust before revealing true identities.

What secret test does Penelope use in Book 23 to prove that the stranger is truly Odysseus?

She tells Eurycleia to move their bridal bed out of their room; Odysseus reacts with anger and describes how he carved the bedpost directly from a living olive tree, proving his identity because only the two of them knew the secret.

What extended epic simile does Homer use in Book 16 to describe the reunion between Odysseus and Telemachus?

He compares their shrill weeping to birds of prey (eagles or vultures) whose fledglings have been stolen from the nest by hunters before they could fly.