What Shakespeare did for English, Dante Alighieri did for Italian literature and language. Meshing his own life and exile with the universal human journey through life and the afterlife, using vernacular Italian rather than Latin, Dante’s poems explored the quest for enlightenment as the overarching theme. To make sense of Dante’s works we will explore the tumultuous political and religious setting of his life, what he recorded of his autobiography, and the state of European literature before we look over the narrative, its use of language, and the impact of Dante’s writings on world culture.

DELIVERY MODE

• Face-to-Face / Online

COURSE OUTLINE

• Context of Dante’s work: geopolitical, religious, literary
• Content of The Divine Comedy: narrative, characters, themes, use of language.
• Legacy: cultural impact on Italian, and world literature

LEARNING OUTCOMES

By the end of this course, students should be able to:

1. Outline the life of Dante and the context of his writing
2. Discuss Dante’s work with an appreciation for its literary and cultural significance