Dante CL 121

In what years did Dante Alighieri live?

Dante Alighieri lived from 1265 to 1321.

Who was Dante's rhetoric tutor?

Dante's rhetoric tutor was Brunetto Latini.

Who was the Florentine noblewoman Dante dubbed 'Beatrice,' who became his lifelong muse?

Her name was Bice Portinari.

What role does Beatrice play in Dante's 'Commedia'?.

She serves as his guide through Paradise

Which poet influenced Dante's early verse experiments in his twenties?

Dante was influenced by the poet Guido Cavalcanti.

What political office did Dante hold in Florence?

Dante became one of the six priors of Florence.

Which of Dante's major works was written in Florence before his exile?

The 'Vita Nuova' was written in Florence in 1292.

Name three major works by Dante that were products of his exile.

The 'Convivio', the 'De Monarchia', and the 'Commedia'.

Who added the word 'Divina' to the title of Dante's 'Commedia'?

The word 'Divina' was added by its readers.

Dante's letter to _____ is the most familiar exposition of medieval semiotic theory.

Can Grande

According to St. Thomas Aquinas, what is the 'first sense' of scripture, where words signify things?

It is the historical or literal sense.

In Aquinas's system, what is the 'spiritual sense' of scripture?

It is the signification whereby things signified by words themselves also have a signification.

What was Dante's principal innovation regarding the multi-level interpretation of scripture?

He applied these principles to a poetical work written in the vernacular language, not sacred scripture.

According to Dante's 'Letter to Can Grande,' a work having several senses may be called _____.

polysemous

In a polysemous work, what is the first sense?

The first sense is the literal one, which is contained in the letter of the text.

According to Dante, what are the three mystical senses of interpretation besides the literal?

The allegorical, moral, and anagogical senses.

The interpretive sense where things of the Old Law signify the things of the New Law is called the _____ sense.

allegorical

The interpretive sense where events in Christ's life are signs of what we ought to do is called the _____ sense.

moral

The interpretive sense where events signify what relates to eternal glory is called the _____ sense.

anagogical

Applying Dante's interpretive model, what is the literal sense of the verse 'When Israel went out of Egypt'?

It signifies the departure of the sons of Israel from Egypt during the time of Moses.

Applying Dante's interpretive model, what is the allegorical sense of the verse 'When Israel went out of Egypt'?

It signifies our redemption through Christ.

Applying Dante's interpretive model, what is the moral sense of the verse 'When Israel went out of Egypt'?

It signifies the conversion of the soul from the sorrow and misery of sin to the state of grace.

Applying Dante's interpretive model, what is the anagogical sense of the verse 'When Israel went out of Egypt'?

It signifies the departure of the sanctified soul from the bondage of this world into the freedom of eternal glory.

What is the literal subject of Dante's whole 'Commedia'?

The subject is the state of souls after death, understood in a simple sense.

What is the allegorical subject of Dante's whole 'Commedia'?

The subject is man, in the exercise of his free will, earning or becoming liable to the rewards or punishments of justice.

According to Dante, the form of the 'Commedia' is twofold, consisting of the form of the _____ and the form of the _____.

treatise; treatment

The 'form of the treatise' of the 'Commedia' involves a threefold division into canticles, cantos, and what else?

It is divided into canticles, cantos, and rhymed units.

From what two Greek words does Dante derive the word 'comedy'?

He derives it from 'comos' (a village) and 'oda' (a song).

According to Dante, how does the matter (plot) of a comedy differ from that of a tragedy?

A tragedy begins tranquilly and ends horribly, while a comedy begins with adversity but ends in prosperity.

According to Dante, how does the style (manner of speaking) of a comedy differ from that of a tragedy?

Tragedy uses an elevated and sublime style, while comedy uses an unstudied and low style.

What is the first reason Dante gives for calling his work a 'Comedy,' based on its matter?

It begins in Hell (foul and conducive to horror) but ends in Paradise (prosperous and conducive to pleasure).

What is the second reason Dante gives for calling his work a 'Comedy,' based on its style?

Its speech is the vernacular, an unstudied and low style, in which even women communicate.

According to the letter, who is the agent of the 'Commedia'?

The agent is Dante Alighieri himself.

What is the stated end, or purpose, of the 'Commedia' as a whole?

The end is to remove those living in this life from the state of misery and to lead them to the state of happiness.

To which branch of philosophy does Dante assign the 'Commedia'?

He assigns it to moral philosophy, or ethics.

Why does Dante classify the 'Commedia' under moral philosophy?

Because the work was conceived for the sake of practical results, not for speculation.

What is the literal subject of the 'Paradiso' canticle, as a part of the whole 'Commedia'?

The subject is the state of blessed souls after death.

What is the allegorical subject of the 'Paradiso' canticle?

The subject is man's becoming eligible, to the extent he has earned them, for the rewards of justice.

What are the six questions Dante says should be asked at the beginning of any doctrinal work?

One should ask about its subject, form, agent, end, title, and branch of philosophy.