Danteprogramme
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The University of Reading Department of Italian Studies Dante’s Divine Comedy Course convenor and tutor: Dr Paola Nasti Course Programme 2004-2005 CONTENTS Aims, Outcomes and Obligations p. 3 Course Outline p. 4-6 Seminar Topics p. 6-10 Guidelines for Presentations and Commentaries p. 11 Bibliography p. 12-16 Course work and Essay topics p. 17-18 2 AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES The aims of this course are: · To extend the student's knowledge and appreciation of the poetry of the Divina Commedia; · to engage students in the challenge of understanding Medieval forms of art, thought and culture; · to foster students’ ability to use resources, to develop independent thinking and self- expression. The student who has successfully completed the course unit will be able to demonstrate: · an understanding of the content and structure of the Divina Commedia; · a sufficient ability to contextualise and comment pertinently on any portion of the Italian text of the poem singled out for close textual study, explaining significant linguistic, historical, and doctrinal matters; · a competent use of a wide range of resources and critical approaches for the understanding of poetry. PRESCRIBED TEXT Dante Alighieri, La divina commedia: Inferno, Purgatorio, Paradiso, with commentary by Natalino Sapegno, 3 vols (Florence: La Nuova Italia, 1985). STUDENTS RESPONSABILITIES · Students are required to read the whole Divine Comedy, in spite of the fact that during the course attention will be focused on a group of specific cantos. Students are also required to read any associated material attentively, engaging in further reading. · English translations can be used, but ultimately students will have to show an understanding of the original text. Lectures and seminars will be based on the original; students are therefore required to bring a copy of the Divine Comedy in class. · Attendance during lectures and seminar sessions are compulsory and essential to a successful outcome. Students are required to participate actively in seminars, whether in discussion, by asking questions, or by giving properly prepared presentations. COURSEWORK Coursework will involve 1 1 essay in the Spring Term, which count towards the Final result. The average of their marks counts for 30% of the Final result. The essays should be no longer than 3000 words. If you have any difficulty over submission, or require any advice, please come and see me well in advance of the deadline. 3 COURSE OUTLINE Familiarize yourself with programme and pay attention to all lectures and seminars content. A reading task has been set for most of the lectures and seminars. Please make sure you read the prescribed cantos before your class. A practical task, i.e. writing a commentary, has been scheduled for week 6 of the Autumn Term. This will not be assessed but it is planned in your interest, to give you some practice on commentary writing for your final exam. NB. For a brief description of seminars content please see the section on ‘Seminar Topics’ on pp. 7-10. AUTUMN TERM Week 1 Tu Lecture: Unlocking the Comedy: genesis of a masterpiece Th Lecture: Exile, poetry and prophecy Week 2 Tu Lecture: Questions of genre, language and style Th Lecture: The journeys of the Comedy Week 3 Tu Lecture: The prologue cantos: Inferno 1-2 Reading task: Inferno 1, 2 and 3 Th Lecture and discussion: Reading Inferno 1, 2 and 3. Reading task: Inferno 1, 2 and 3 Week 4 Tu Lecture: Dante among the classics Reading task: Inferno 4 Th Lecture: What’s love got to do with it? Reading task: Inferno 5 Week 5 Tu Seminar 1: The moral and physical structure of Inferno. (Inferno 11) Reading task: Every group must reflect on the first seminar topic planned for this week and read Inferno 11 Th Seminar 2: A passion for earthly matters: Farinata and Cavalcante (Inferno 10) Reading task: Inferno 10 Week 6 Tu Seminar 3: The master and his pupil: the drama of Brunetto Latini Reading task: Inferno 15 Th Lecture: Dante, the Church and the corrupted Popes Reading task: Inferno 19 Practical: write a commentary on Inferno 19 Week 7 Tu Seminar 4: The triumph of the comical (Inferno 21-23) 4 Reading task: Inferno 21-23 Th Lecture: Journeys of perdition: Ulysses’ intellectual sin Reading task: : Inferno 26 Practical: submit commentary on Inferno 19 Week 8 Tu Lecture: At the heart of evil. Ugolino and the art of lying Reading task: Inferno 32-33 Th Lecture: The creation of Purgatory Reading task: Purgatorio 1 and 2 Week 9 Tu Lecture: Purification, nostalgia and hope: the poetry of Purgatorio Reading task: Purgatorio 1 and 2 Th Lecture: The politics of the Comedy Reading task: Purgatorio 5-6 Week 10 Tu Seminar 5: The purgation of pride Reading task: Purgatorio 10-12 Th Seminar 6: The doctrine of love and free will Reading task: Purgatorio 16-18 SPRING TERM Week 1 T Lecture: Poets and poetry in the Comedy Reading task: Purgatorio 21-26 Th Seminar 1: Statius and Virgil: Dante’s attitude to Classical antiquity Reading task: Purgatorio 21 and 22 Week 2 Tu Seminar 2: Dante and the vernacular literary tradition Reading task: Cantos 24 and 26 Th Lecture: Earthly Paradise Reading task: Purgatorio 30-33 Week 3 Tu Lecture: Meeting Beatrice Reading task: Purgatorio 30-33 Th Lecture: The drama of desire: introduction to Paradiso Reading task: Week 4 Tu Lecture: Canto 1 the poetry of Ineffability Reading task: Paradiso 1 5 Th Seminar 3: The sweetness of loving God Reading task: Paradiso 3 Week 5 Tu Seminar 4: God’s Empire Reading task: Paradiso 6 Th Seminar 5: Love and politics Reading task: Paradiso 8-9 Week 6 Tu Lecture: The heaven of the Sun Reading task: Paradiso 10, 11 & 12 Th Lecture: The Resurrection of the body Reading task: Paradiso 14 Week 7 Tu Lecture: Dante’s poetic mission Reading task: Paradiso 15-17 Th Seminar: Reciting the Comedy Week 8 Tu Seminar 6: God’s Justice and the problem of Salvation Reading task: Paradiso 19-20 Th Lecture: Metaphors and language in Paradiso Week 9 Tu Seminar 7: The fury of Peter Reading task: Paradiso 26-27 Th Seminar 8: The heavenly rose and St Bernard Reading task: Paradiso 30 and 31 Week 10 Tu Lecture: The end of the journey Reading task: Paradiso 32 and 33 Th Revision Seminar 6 SEMINAR ORGANIZATION AND TOPICS FOR THE AUTUMN The class will be divided into study groups, each of which will be expected to organize its own learning activities and to provide a forum for the discussion of the set topics. Each group will be assigned one of 6 seminars listed in the Autumn ‘Course Outline’, with the exception of Seminar 1, which will be shared by all groups. The groups will arrange to meet in order to prepare for an oral presentation. Pool your thoughts on the topic in question, organize them in some coherent manner, formulate any unresolved problems you wish to raise, and appoint a spokesperson if you wish. The topics generally concentrate on the analysis of a number of chosen cantos, but this should ultimately serve as the basis for the discussion of broader issues. Suggestions on the issues to discuss in the seminars are offered below, but the choice of topics belongs to the study groups. Remember to outline the general context of the canto/cantos you deal with as well as their main ideological, philosophical, theological, and rhetorical features (for more help on how to prepare a seminar see ‘Guidelines’ on p. 8). 1 The moral and physical structure of Inferno Study group: all · Describe the structure of the universe on which Dante’s afterlife is based (you might want to have pictures/figures to help discuss this point). · How was hell created according to Dante? · On which philosophical system is Dante’s division of sins based upon? · Following the analysis offered in Inferno 11, describe the division/organization of sins/sinners in Inferno (you might want to have pictures/figures to help discuss this point). · Which are the literary models of Dante’s Inferno? · What is the contrappasso? Analyse some examples. · What is the relationship between the physical reality of Inferno and the moral conditions of its inhabitants? 2 A passion for earthly matters: Farinata and Cavalcante Study group: · What is the function of the first 21 lines of the Inferno 10? More generally analyse the link between the landscape described in this canto and the moral condition of the sinners met here. · What is the relation between heresy (Epicures) and Farinata’s fixation with politics? Or between heresy and Cavalcante’s insistence on his son’s fame? · Why most of the sinners we meet in Inferno are Florentines like Farinata? · What is the image of Florence portrayed by Farinata and Dante in Inferno 10? · How do you explain the magnitude of the sinners met by Dante in Inferno 10? What does his say about the human persona and the nature of sin? · Analyse the similarities as well as differences between Farinata and Dante. · Discuss the prophecy of Dante’s exile. · Discuss the meaning of the meeting with Cavalcante dei Cavalcanti and Dante’s relationship with Guido Cavalcanti. · Is this canto about the limits of reason? If so why? 3 The master and his pupil: the drama of Brunetto Latini Study group: · Who was Brunetto Latini (Inferno XV)? What was his relationship with Dante? · What is Brunetto’s greatest sin? · Discuss Brunetto’s concepts of literary fame and fortune. How do they contribute to our understanding of his sin? · Analyse Brunetto’s language. How does it reflect his sinful attitude? 7 · Discuss the differences between Dante the poet’s and Dante the character’s treatment of Brunetto.