Dante's Inferno Lecture quiz 2

Lec- 2 Dantes inferno

1. What. IS the Divine Comedy

a. 3 parts

i. Inferno

ii. Purgatorio

iii. Paradiso

b. Originallly Titled Commedia or comedy

c. Divina added in 16 th cent to indicate its roots in Religion

d. What makes it a comedy

i. Not written in latin but Italian

ii. Contains happy endind

e. Like other epics, it gives a blueprint for how to live

2. Genre and Mode

a. Genre- French for “kind”

i. Defined by

1. Style

2. Structure

3. Length

4. Subhject Matter

ii. Expectations of a specific audience

iii. Hierarchy- tragedy epic comedy etc

iv. Decorum matching of Sub with form

b. Mode- broader Category

i. Tragic, comic, satiric and didactic

3. The Commedia as Epic

a. Extended narrative Poems

b. Celebrates the Exploiuts of Martial Heroes

i. Double war/ of the Journey and the pity

c. Invocation of Divine inspiration

d. Begins in Medias Res, the Middle of things

e. ENcoutners with the divine and otherworldy

f. A descent to the underworld

g. Diction: written in high style

h. Stock Prhases: Epithets, literary Epic

i. Divided into Long narrative Sequences: Episodes

j. Tragic Mode?

4. Creating Hell

a. Dante

i. Buitl upon previous traditions

1. Ancients

a. The aeneid

b. Ovid

2. Christianity

a. Bible

b. 7 deadly sins

c. Theological virtues

d. Cardinal Virtues

e. 7 Heavenyl virtures

3. The Fallen Angels ( Christian theomachy)

5. Medieval Christan Ethics: the Virtues

a. Cardinal Virtues

i. Classical- plato Aristotle

ii. Natural to man, not always exercised

iii. Rational

iv. Golden Mean: Balance between 2 sinful Extremes

v. Eudaimonia- Happy liufe

b. Fortitude- courage, endurance

c. Prudence- discernment

d. Justice- fairness

e. Temperance- Discretion, Moderation

f. Circles of Incontinence

6. Virtues contd

a. Theological

i. Accessible through Christs divine grace

ii. SPritiual, Salvatory

iii. The life ecverlatsting

b. Faith int Christ

c. Hope for eternal life

d. Love for God, Family, and NEighbro

i. Progressively dominate the middle and lower Hells: Violence and Deception

ii. Sins of Pride, Hubris

7. Principle of the Tirnity

a. Organizing Principle of the Divine Comedy

i. 3 parts 100 Cantos

1. Inferno

2. 34

3. 33

4. 33

ii. 3 days

1. Begins of Good Friday

iii. 3 major sins

1. Sins of self indulgence

2. Sins of violence

3. Sins of Fraud

8. Structure of Hell

a. Desinged like a funnel

b. Lesser sins are on top

c. Greater sin closer to the center

d. Each sin has a contrapsso

e. Hell for those who rationalized their sins

i. Non- sinful go to heaven

ii. Repentant go to PURgatory

9. The Logic of Function

a. Poeric justice – Contrapasso

b. Punishment fits crine

c. Sinned is given what they want and realize it not what they want

d. Punishment of sin, effected by a process either resembling or contrasting with the sin itself

e. The infallibility of God, whose will is undeniable but beyond understanding

f. Humanity’s inability

10. Hold-overs from Virgil and the Ancients

a. Creatures of Hell aid Virgil and Dante

i. Charon

ii. Minos

iii. Cerberus

iv. The Furies

v. Geryon

b. Structures of the Underworld

i. City of Dis

ii. Rivers

iii. Buildings

c. Common Experiences:

i. Pilgrim on a journey

ii. Guide with Experience

iii. Discussions with known deceased

11. Early Symbolism

a. She Wolf

i. Wildness

ii. -Lack of self control

b. Lion

i. Violence

c. Leopard

i. Fraud/treachery

ii. Manipulation/malice

12. More Dantean Symbols

a. Dark Forest= Confusion/ Fear,Sin

b. Dante=Pilgrim

c. Virgil= human Reason

d. Beatrice= Spritual love

e. Geryon- Fraud/ Malice

f. Ice= Cold-bloodedness/ Frozen hearts

13. The Damned

a. Those Who…

i. Succumbed to bestial tendencies

ii. Do violence to themselves, Others or God

iii. Defraud Strangers

iv. Betray Family, Guests, Nation, and their leaders

v. Fail to admit their wrongdoing

vi. Are unrepentant

vii. Similar sins as those in purgatory

14. Salvation lies in Truth/honesty

a. Dante’s friends/ heroes in hell

i. Hector

ii. Virgil and Homer

iii. Brunetto Latini

b. Controversial Figures in hell

c. Given Warnings/ Lessons to stay truthful

i. Francesca Di Rimini: unfaithful to her vows

ii. Opportunitsts- make a stand for good

iii. The virtuous pagans- lack of hope

iv. Bruneto- sodomites – keep talents fertile

v. Caiaphas and annas- hypocrites- say what you believe Ulysses and Diomed- evil councilors/ Misused abilities

15. Humanity cannot fully understand Gods’ motives

a. Dante sympathizes with some sinners

i. Lustful

ii. Fortune tellers

iii. Dante condemns other sinners

1. Simonists

2. Treacherous

iv. Readers probably feel the same way as Dante

v. Readers may question serverity/ order of punishments

vi. God does not make mistakes- people in hell for a reason

16. Extreme Factionalism is dangerous