116-318/418 To Hell With Dante

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Timetable:

Contact:

Objectives:

On completion of this subject students should:

• have acquired some understanding of the basic theological, philosophical and literary concepts of the Inferno;

• have developed critical strategies for interpreting the poetry of the Inferno;

• be able to assess critically the Inferno in the light of previous interpretations and demonstrate a knowledge of some of the critical controversies surrounding the text.

Content:

This subject will concentrate on selected cantos of the Inferno by means of close readings of individual passages and by placing the poem in its medieval context. Guided readings in essential background will allow students to gain an understanding of some of the key medieval concepts of the poem. Regular discussion of some of the most important episodes of the poem will form an essential component of the subject, so that students will be in a position to appreciate and analyse one of the most impressive poems in European literature.

Assessment:

Prescribed Texts:

See Italian Studies Course Handbook for details.