DanteDante’’s Divine s Divine ComedyComedy

Introduction to DanteIntroduction to Dante• Dante Aligheri (1265-Dante Aligheri (1265-

1321), of Florence, Italy.1321), of Florence, Italy.

• One of the 5 greatest poets One of the 5 greatest poets of the Western tradition of the Western tradition (with Homer, Virgil, (with Homer, Virgil, Milton, Goethe).Milton, Goethe).

• His masterpiece (The His masterpiece (The Divine Comedy) embodies Divine Comedy) embodies the Thomistic synthesis of the Thomistic synthesis of Greek philosophy & the Greek philosophy & the Biblical worldview.Biblical worldview.

Introduction to DanteIntroduction to Dante

• His great love seems to have been His great love seems to have been Beatrice Portinari.Beatrice Portinari.• They met when they were children.They met when they were children.• Dante worshipped her.Dante worshipped her.• Beatrice was Dante’s inspiration for Beatrice was Dante’s inspiration for The The

Divine Comedy.Divine Comedy.• After her death in 1290, he dedicated a book After her death in 1290, he dedicated a book

of verse, of verse, La Vita NuovaLa Vita Nuova, or “The New Life,” , or “The New Life,” to her.to her.

• Though each married, they did not marry Though each married, they did not marry each other.each other.

Introduction to DanteIntroduction to Dante

• Dante entered an Dante entered an arranged marriage arranged marriage in 1291 with in 1291 with Gemma Donati, a Gemma Donati, a noblewoman.noblewoman.

• They had four They had four children—Jacopo, children—Jacopo, Pietro, Giovanni, Pietro, Giovanni, and Antonia.and Antonia.

• Records contain Records contain little else about little else about their life together.their life together.

Political ClimatePolitical Climate• Church (Pope) vs. State (Holy Roman Emperor)Church (Pope) vs. State (Holy Roman Emperor)

• After the collapse of the Roman Empire, After the collapse of the Roman Empire, there were attempts to recreate the there were attempts to recreate the ““Holy Holy Roman Empire.Roman Empire.””

• Conflicts between various Popes and Conflicts between various Popes and emperors continued for hundreds of years.emperors continued for hundreds of years.

• In DanteIn Dante’’s time, both the Pope and the s time, both the Pope and the emperor claimed political authorityemperor claimed political authority

• Dante wanted to separate the two forms of Dante wanted to separate the two forms of authority and have the church deal only with authority and have the church deal only with spiritual matters while the empire dealt with spiritual matters while the empire dealt with earthly ones.earthly ones.

DanteDante’’s Banishments Banishment

• In Florence, Italy, there were two political parties:• The Guelphs – supported the Pope• The Ghibellines – supported the Emperor

Due to opposing local, papal, national, and political politics, the Guelphs split into two subparties: Blacks and Whites

Pope Boniface VIII sided with the Blacks – Whites were then persecuted.

Dante (a White Guelph) was banished from Florence and never returned. He wrote The Divine Comedy after he was banished.

The Divine ComedyThe Divine Comedy

• Written between 1308 Written between 1308 and 1321and 1321

• Begins on Good Friday Begins on Good Friday in the year 1300in the year 1300

• An imaginary journey An imaginary journey that takes Dante that takes Dante through Hell, through Hell, Purgatory, and ParadisePurgatory, and Paradise

•An allegory—the journey is symbolic of the spiritual quest for salvation•Three parts: The Inferno, Pergatorio, and Paradisio

ComedyComedy• Although it may not Although it may not

seem "funny" to us, seem "funny" to us, The Divine ComedyThe Divine Comedy is is classified as a comedy classified as a comedy because it has a because it has a ““happhappyy ”” ending. It is ending. It is ““divinedivine”” because it deals with because it deals with heaven, hell, and God – heaven, hell, and God – divinity.divinity.

• This was the old This was the old definition of comedy, as definition of comedy, as opposed to our current opposed to our current notion that a comedy notion that a comedy should keep us should keep us laughing. laughing.

Vernacular

•DanteDante’’s use of the local (Tuscan) s use of the local (Tuscan) dialect of Italian rather than Latin in dialect of Italian rather than Latin in writing writing The Divine Comedy The Divine Comedy was a was a daring gamble at the time; most serious daring gamble at the time; most serious writing was done in Latin because the writing was done in Latin because the vernacular languages kept changing vernacular languages kept changing and people were afraid that no one and people were afraid that no one would be able to read them in a few would be able to read them in a few years. years.

Retribution in Hell• Punishments in the Punishments in the

tours of hell consists tours of hell consists of those based on the of those based on the principle of “Eye for principle of “Eye for an eye”an eye”

• Punishment equal to Punishment equal to the crimethe crime

Example: Fortunetellers pretend to know future, so in hell, their heads are fastened on backwards so they must always look behind themselves.

CirclesCircles

• The sinners in the The sinners in the circles include:circles include:• Circle OneCircle One—Those in —Those in

limbo (basically limbo (basically innocent people; innocent people; unbaptized and unbaptized and unbelievers)unbelievers)

• Circle TwoCircle Two—The lustful—The lustful• Circle ThreeCircle Three—The —The

gluttonous (food, drink, gluttonous (food, drink, other addictions)other addictions)

• Circle FourCircle Four—The —The hoarders (greed as sin)hoarders (greed as sin)

• Circle FiveCircle Five—The —The wrathfulwrathful

CirclesCircles

•Circle SixCircle Six—The —The hereticsheretics

•Circle SevenCircle Seven——The violentThe violent•Ring 1Ring 1: Violence : Violence

Against OthersAgainst Others•Ring 2Ring 2: Violence : Violence

Against SelfAgainst Self•Ring 3Ring 3: Violence : Violence

against God, against God, Nature, and ArtNature, and Art

CirclesCircles• Circle Eight – the Circle Eight – the

fraudulent.fraudulent.• Has 10 levelsHas 10 levels• SeducersSeducers• FlatterersFlatterers• Simonists (buy/sell Simonists (buy/sell

pardons)pardons)• Fortune tellersFortune tellers• Barrators (frivolous Barrators (frivolous

lawsuits)lawsuits)• HypocritesHypocrites• ThievesThieves• Fraudulent counselorsFraudulent counselors• Sowers of discordSowers of discord• Falsifiers Falsifiers

CirclesCircles

•Circle NineCircle Nine——TraitorsTraitors• Region 1Region 1: Traitors : Traitors

to their kindredto their kindred• Region 2Region 2: Traitors : Traitors

to their countryto their country• Region 3Region 3: Traitors : Traitors

to their gueststo their guests• Region 4Region 4: Traitors : Traitors

to their to their lords/benefactorslords/benefactors

Themes to ConsiderThemes to Consider

• Love as the source of both good and evil.Love as the source of both good and evil.

• The paradox of free willThe paradox of free will

• The relationship between body and soul.The relationship between body and soul.

• Faith and Reason and the limits of eachFaith and Reason and the limits of each

Love as the source Love as the source of Good and Evilof Good and Evil

•Virgil distinguishes between animal-Virgil distinguishes between animal-like love and mind-directed love.like love and mind-directed love.

•The second is imperfect both in respect The second is imperfect both in respect of its object and its intensity.of its object and its intensity.• Wrong object: Pride, Envy, WrathWrong object: Pride, Envy, Wrath• Too weak: SlothToo weak: Sloth• Too strong: Avarice, Gluttony, LustToo strong: Avarice, Gluttony, Lust

The Paradox of Free WillThe Paradox of Free Will•If God is omnipotent (all-If God is omnipotent (all-

knowing) and knows what we knowing) and knows what we will do before he created us, will do before he created us, how can we have free will?how can we have free will?

The Paradox of EvilThe Paradox of Evil

•Paradox: If God is Paradox: If God is ““goodgood”” and and omnipotent, why does He allow evil in omnipotent, why does He allow evil in the world?the world?

•Dante maintains that God allows evil Dante maintains that God allows evil because of free will. Man is to have because of free will. Man is to have free will, the ability to choose, and free will, the ability to choose, and without good and evil, man has without good and evil, man has nothing to choose between.nothing to choose between.

Relationship between Body & Soul

•For medieval For medieval Christians, the Christians, the soul was separated soul was separated from the body at from the body at death and then death and then judged based on judged based on the life it lived in the life it lived in the body while on the body while on earth. earth.

•Vision literature Vision literature describes life after describes life after death in terms of death in terms of other worlds, other worlds, heaven and hell for heaven and hell for medieval medieval Christians.Christians.   

Faith & ReasonFaith & Reason• Dante gives a high status to natural reason.Dante gives a high status to natural reason.

• Virgil, Dante’s guide through hell and Virgil, Dante’s guide through hell and purgatory, was a pre-Christian Roman poet.purgatory, was a pre-Christian Roman poet.

• The philosophers and poets (ones who rely The philosophers and poets (ones who rely entirely on reason) are in limboentirely on reason) are in limbo, because they , because they were born before Christ, or were not baptized. were born before Christ, or were not baptized. They are treated with great respect, and suffer They are treated with great respect, and suffer only the sadness of the loss of heaven.only the sadness of the loss of heaven.

Three Medieval TheoriesThree Medieval Theories• Dante endorses Dante endorses ““creationiscreationis

mm””: that each individual : that each individual human soul is specially human soul is specially created by God.created by God.

• Augustine and others Augustine and others endorsed endorsed ““traducianismtraducianism””: the : the human soul is formed by human soul is formed by natural powers possessed by natural powers possessed by the sperm & egg.the sperm & egg.

• Dante clearly rejects Dante clearly rejects Averroism: that all human Averroism: that all human beings share a single soul.beings share a single soul.

Allegory• A method of expressing ideas by A method of expressing ideas by

using a parallel story or images; using a parallel story or images; • Examples: Dante wandering in Examples: Dante wandering in

the woods in the midpoint of the woods in the midpoint of his life; the situation is an his life; the situation is an allegory for his personal allegory for his personal confusion and lack of confusion and lack of direction, his mid-life spiritual direction, his mid-life spiritual crisis crisis

• The leopard, wolf and lion are The leopard, wolf and lion are allegorical beasts; each represents allegorical beasts; each represents a sin which keeps Dante from a sin which keeps Dante from getting to heaven.getting to heaven.

The Divine Comedy The Divine Comedy as an as an EpicEpic

• A long, narrative poemA long, narrative poem

• Reflects universal themes:Reflects universal themes:• Life and DeathLife and Death• Good and evilGood and evil• Faith and Reason (represented by Beatrice and Virgil)Faith and Reason (represented by Beatrice and Virgil)

• Plot is complicated by supernatural beings/events and Plot is complicated by supernatural beings/events and involves long and dangerous journeys through foreign involves long and dangerous journeys through foreign lands. lands.

• Vast scale (includes heaven, hell, and earth)Vast scale (includes heaven, hell, and earth)