Università Roma Tre

Delving into Dante: a Guided Journey through Nine Essential Themes

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.

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.