Dante in Translation

Central to world literature, Dante's Divine Comedy traces the Poet's journey from the darkness of the Inferno, through the chiaroscuro of the Purgatory mountain, to the celestial vision of the Paradiso. We will situate the work in the context of Dante's poetic predecessors (Virgil, Provencal troubadours/trobaritz, the Sicilian School, Guido Cavalcanti), and in the cultural and historical context of the Middle Ages. We will also consider modern art, literature, and film influenced by the Comedy. Readings will be complemented with audio support in English and Italian.