Dante Stuff

Things to Consider for the Introduction to Dante, Norton Anthologies, pp. 1010-1015.

1.      Know where Dante was born, in what city, in what country.

2.      Know the year of his birth.

3.      Know his marital status.

4.      Know his political affiliation.

5.      What is the name of Dante’s first love?

6.      How was Dante’s poetry iconoclastic? What rules did Dante break?

7.      When did Dante begin The Divine Comedy?

8.      When did Dante finish the poem?

9.      Know about the way Dante’s depiction of Heaven, Purgatory, and Hell are arranged. Know their lengths.

10.  Know about the significance of numbers.

11.  Know what hell looks like—according to Dante—the architecture, if you will.

12.  Know the architecture of Purgatory and Paradise (I will put this on the board).

13.  Know why The Divine Comedy is called a comedy.

14.  Know that Dante was a highly visual poet. I want you to start recognizing that.

15.  Know who Dante meets—the name of his guide.

16.  Know the symbolism of the three creatures.

17.  What does the editor say about the variety of tones used in the poem?

18.  Where does the real Inferno begin—according to the editor?

19.  Why are these people punished?

20.  Know about Minos.

21.  Know about Paolo and Francesca. Why are they important? What happened to them? How did they end up in the inferno?

22.  What do Paolo and Francesca represent?

23.  Why are their fates bittersweet?

24.  Where do the heretics reside?

25.  What is the name of the city within Canto X?