The Divine Comedy
- Author: Dante Alighierie
- Title: The Divine Comedy
- Trivia: Title is called a comedy because it narrates Dante’s salvation.
- This was considered comic in the medieval sense.
- Trivia: Topics are politics (Italy, Florence), poetry, papacy, theology, literature.
- Published: 1320
- List of Challenges 2018
- Monthly reading plan
Inferno – Dante distances himself from the sinners – DOWN 9 circles of hell
- Dante meets his guide, Virgil….
- Virgil was heaven sent (a feeling of grace)
- The way to rise…you must first go down. (Hell)
- Virgil tells the pilgrim that he will help him.
- Dante is not enthusiastic
- ….he even wants out of the deal!
- Virgil has been sent by others….to guide Dante.
- For the way of salvation you have to go another route.
- Virgil will stay with Dante for 2/3 of the way.
- Abandon all hope …he who enter here.
- Dante’s response: “these words are cruel.”
- The sign says this is a place of justice
- but the pilgrim does not accept these words…yet.
Purgatorio – Dante goes UP 7 story mountain (terraces)
- Beatrice arrives in 3 colors white, green and red (Faith, Hope, Love).
- Dante consults his guide Virgil. But Virgil was not there!
- This is the handing off from Virgil to Beatrice.
- Beatrice begins by speaking sternly to Dante
- …to take him to task for all for the things he has failed to do.
- Part of Beatrice’s function is to be a stern judge.
- Beatrice tells him he had so many talents
- …why was this potential so unfulfilled in you?
- You should re-orientate yourself to only ‘very high things.
- Dante does not go defensive
- …because he saw so many do that and they are in Hell!
- He must go back into the world and help other
- sinners by writing when this journey has been completed.
Paradiso: Dante goes OUTWARD to 7 planets where souls contemplate God.
- Who does Dante meet on the Moon, Mercury, Venus?
- Dante meets ex-sinners who lack the virtues of faith, hope and love.
- Conclusion: heaven is not reserved for people who have led perfect lives.
- Who is on the Sun? (wisdom)
- Famous scholars …St Thomas Aquinas, Albertus Magnus
- …but there are some simple folks there.
- Conclusion: wisdom does not equal scholarship.
- Who is on Mars, Jupiter and Saturn?
- We meet Dante’s great-great-grandfather,
- just rulers (Emperor Trajan), monk (Peter Damian).
- On the Fixed Stars Dante meets the Virgin Mary.
- Then Dante reaches the Primum Mobile.
- Dante finally sees God as an intensely bright point of light.
- Beatrice has not disappeared as Virgil did…
- …but Dante can still see her in the mystical rose (love)
- Now St Bernard of Clairvaux stands next to Dante.
- Why St Bernard as the last guide?
- This man was a mystic and a poet.
- He is the final mediator in this journey.
- Virgil prepared Dante for Beatrice.
- Beatrice has prepared Dante for St Bernard
- …..and St. Bernard prepares Dante for God.
Goal:
- Dante sees God,
- …the Triune God, the Mystery of the Trinity.
- Dante tries to describe this mystical experience.
Last thoughts:
- After 14,233 lines that are divided into three canticas
- Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso each and
- …the total number of cantos to 100
- I can finally say I have read this great classic!
- There are many allusions that were difficult to discover
- in the Purgatorio
- eagle = Emperor Constantine, first Christian Roman emperor
- chariot in procession = Catholic Church
- I am deeply impressed with Clive James’ translation, bravo!
- Also I would recommend reading + listening to The Divine Comedy
- with Audible version.
- It helped me…to push on through 100 cantos!
- #MustRead Classic….once in your lifetime!
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