Il corso intende fornire strumenti specifici per l’approccio allo studio e all'analisi delle opere di Dante e in particolare della ‘Commedia’. Attraverso la lettura di una selezione delle opere di Dante e della contestualizzazione storica della figura dell’autore, lo studente acquisirà una conoscenza di base, sotto il profilo storico-letterario e linguistico, delle peculiarità della produzione dantesca con cenni sulla sua ricezione.
scheda docente
materiale didattico
Dante’s works stand as literary classics that have resonated with readers across time and space, simultaneously offering the most comprehensive synthesis of Medieval European culture. This course is dedicated to a selective reading of his works, with a primary focus on his masterpiece, the Comedy. Texts will be read and analysed in English. Engaging with these texts will also enable the reconstruction of their historical, philosophical, theological, literary, and artistic contexts. The exploration of Dante’s works will revolve around nine pivotal concepts: Language; Realism and Allegory; Classical Heritage; Desire; Community and Exile; Comedy and Tragedy; Knowledge; Happiness; and Vision.
The aims of this course are to:
• Familiarise students with some of the most significant texts of the Western intellectual and literary tradition;
• Enhance students’ ability to interpret the discussed texts, taking into account current critical debates;
• Cultivate an awareness of the cultural distance between the Middle Ages and the present, with a specific emphasis on ethical, philosophical, and theological issues;
• Engage students in discussions on the relevance of Dante’s works in contemporary culture.
The Divine Comedy of Dante Alighieri, 3 voll., edited and translated by Robert M. Durling; introduction and notes by Roland L. Martinez and Robert M. Durling; illustrations by Robert Turner. New York-Oxford, Oxford University Press, 1997-2011 (selections); the volumes are accessible online through the university library.
Dante Alighieri, Vita Nova, translation, introduction, and notes by Andrew Frisardi, Evanston (IL), Northwestern University Press, 2012.
Programma
Delving into Dante: a Guided Journey through Nine Essential ThemesDante’s works stand as literary classics that have resonated with readers across time and space, simultaneously offering the most comprehensive synthesis of Medieval European culture. This course is dedicated to a selective reading of his works, with a primary focus on his masterpiece, the Comedy. Texts will be read and analysed in English. Engaging with these texts will also enable the reconstruction of their historical, philosophical, theological, literary, and artistic contexts. The exploration of Dante’s works will revolve around nine pivotal concepts: Language; Realism and Allegory; Classical Heritage; Desire; Community and Exile; Comedy and Tragedy; Knowledge; Happiness; and Vision.
The aims of this course are to:
• Familiarise students with some of the most significant texts of the Western intellectual and literary tradition;
• Enhance students’ ability to interpret the discussed texts, taking into account current critical debates;
• Cultivate an awareness of the cultural distance between the Middle Ages and the present, with a specific emphasis on ethical, philosophical, and theological issues;
• Engage students in discussions on the relevance of Dante’s works in contemporary culture.
Testi Adottati
Course readings:The Divine Comedy of Dante Alighieri, 3 voll., edited and translated by Robert M. Durling; introduction and notes by Roland L. Martinez and Robert M. Durling; illustrations by Robert Turner. New York-Oxford, Oxford University Press, 1997-2011 (selections); the volumes are accessible online through the university library.
Dante Alighieri, Vita Nova, translation, introduction, and notes by Andrew Frisardi, Evanston (IL), Northwestern University Press, 2012.
Bibliografia Di Riferimento
Recommended books and sites: Dante in Context, edited by Zygmunt Barański and Lino Pertile, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2015 The Cambridge Companion to Dante's Commedia, edited by Zygmunt Barański, Samuel Gilson, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2017 The Oxford Handbook of Dante, edited by Manuele Gragnolati, Elena Lombardi, and Francesca Southerden, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2021 Alison Cornish, Believing in Dante: Truth in Fiction, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2022 Elisa Brilli and Giuliani Milani, Dante's New Lives. Biography and Autobiography, Chicago, The University of Chicago Press, 2023 https://digitaldante.columbia.edu/ (editor in chief: Teodolinda Barolini) https://www.danteonline.it/opere/ (with English translations of all Dante’s works)Modalità Valutazione
Students will be asked to write a critical essay on a theme related to the course topic. They will receive guidance in choosing a subject and in finding the relevant bibliography. The evaluation will primarily be based on the essay, while also considering the contribution to class discussions.