Dante Alighieri (1265-1321)

Dante born in Florence more like an independent Greek city-state than a city Florence entering into its period of greatness at the time of his childhood A republicruled by a large grouprather than a democracy

His life as related to the Comedy

Little known of his life Though born in modest circumstances, he never had to seek gainful employment Could devote his life to study and literature Met Beatrice, love and muse of his life, when he was 9 and she was 8

Vita Nuova

From moment they met, he was overcome by love for her Had a vision, wrote To every captive soul and gentle heart in response to that vision She was the unattainable; both married another Beatrice died in 1290; Dante inconsolable, but was finally able to set down the story of his love in Vita Nuova Describes his spiritual regeneration through his pure love for Beatrice

The (Divine) Comedy

Resolved to write of Beatrice what has never been written about any woman Carried this out in his Comedylater became known as the Divine Comedy Not comedy in the usual sense, but in the sense that it begins in despair and ends in bliss A long narrative poem written in terza rimaan epic, but more of a spiritual epic, written rather than spoken (true also of the Aeneid)

Structure of The Comedy

Three books or canticles Each canticle is divided into 33 cantos Verse schema is terza rimastanzas of three lines with interlocking rhymes Multiples of the number three abound within the work

Characters and Themes

Works both as a literal story and an allegory Dante himself is a charactera sort of Everymanon quest for redemption-salvation Begins mid-journey in a sort of mid-life crisis alone in a dark wood having lost the straight path

Virgil as Mentor-Guide

Dante meets the shade of Virgilgreat Roman poet and author of The Aeneidwho represents Human Reason Virgil leads Dante through descent into hell (parallel to epic protagonists journey into the underworld) Hell shaped like a cone, lesser sins at the wide top and gravest sins at narrow bottom where Satan lives

Purgatory

After descending to the depths of hell, Dante must climb the mountain of purgatory (Canticle Two) Here sinners are purging themselves for entrance into paradise or heaven

Paradise

In the third book, Beatrice comes to escort Dante into Paradise, where he is assured of his salvation Dante experiences a final rapture as he gazes directly at God, the source of all Love