How Literature Changed a Nation: Dante Alighieri and The Divine Comedy
analytical Essay
1142 words
Making change in a time of dark beliefs and harsh criticism is a difficult task to achieve. The poet, Dante Alighieri’s world was one filled with spirituality and stigmas. Unlike many other artists of his time, he completed his most famous and influential work in Europe’s 1300’s. Dante’s piece, The Divine Comedy, demonstrates the journey one takes throughout life, to find one’s self and connect with the world and religion, all through three volumes of poetry. Of his talent, came a business of the arts. In addition, he changed the way the Italian language was perceived. He used his writing to help women be viewed as equals to men, and took a more tolerant position with regard to religion. Due to its effects on language, religion, and societal protocol, The Divine Comedy unquestionably affected Italian culture in the time of its author, and beyond.
Language amongst a nation may seem definite, but in the 14th century, Italy was simply a geographical region in need of leadership and unity. Bardertscher discussed the way Dante helped to unite the country in a single language. “Written in the Tuscan dialect rather than in Latin, "The Divine Comedy" helped strengthen the use of the vernacular as a literary language. It also led to the dominance of Tuscan, which became the basis of modern Italian” (Bardertscher, 2005, p. 1). By writing his work in Tuscan Italian, Dante made two great strides for Italy. First, he established Italian as a language which was versatile and as useful as Latin. In addition, Dante’s use of a particular dialect led to the Italian government adopting this dialect as the standard language. Even today, Dante’s Tuscan dialect is the version of Italian which American students learn and the majority of Italians spea...
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Burge, J. (2011). Dante: Reason and religion. Retrieved December 14, 2011, from http://web.ebscohost.com/src/detail?sid=5cd2709b-b242-4ee4-b1ba-8dc080c53953%40sessionmgr13&vid=1&hid=13&bdata=JnNpdGU9c3JjLWxpdmU%3d#db=ulh&AN=59526105
Chou, P. (1999). Romance: Dante & Beatrice. Retrieved December 9, 2011, from http://www.wisdomportal.com/Romance/Dante-Beatrice.html
Hutchinson’s Biography Database. (2011). Dante Alighieri. Retrieved December 9, 2011, from http://web.ebscohost.com/src/detail?sid=c33e3860-8c08-48cc-b3e1-edf9a2b50b6e%40sessionmgr15&vid=1&hid=13&bdata=JnNpdGU9c3JjLWxpdmU%3d#db=mih&AN=32216798
Knight, K. (2009). Thomism. Retrieved December 9, 2011, from http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/14698b.htm
Rubin, H. (2004). Dante in love. New York: Simon & Schuster.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how dante alighieri's work, the divine comedy, demonstrates the journey one takes throughout life, to find one’s self and connect with the world and religion, through three volumes of poetry.
- Analyzes how dante helped to unite italy in a single language by writing in the tuscan dialect rather than in latin.
- Explains that dante's love for beatrice portinari led him to be led to god. this religious affiliation later became the subject of his renowned poem.
- Analyzes how dante didn't agree with the teachings of the church. he had an interesting view on homosexuality, which gained him critique amongst his peers.
- Analyzes how dante's work showed his realistic outlook on life and society. he accepted situations as they were, which coincided with thomism beliefs.
- Analyzes how dante's modern beliefs were in the power of women. the female lead of the divine comedy is a true hero and completes the story.
- Analyzes how dante's poem showed his love for love, but also discussed many intellectual principals. the poem was readable for all, thus making the book profitable.
- Explains that many of society's greats in these fields and others admit dante and his divine comedy were their inspiration.
- Analyzes how dante alighieri's divine comedy created dynamics in a settled and strictly ruled nation, affecting communication, belief systems, and mannerisms of the italian people.
- Cites bardertscher, e. (2005) and burge, j. (2011). dante: reason and religion.
- Cites chou, p., hutchinson’s biography database, dante alighieri, and knight, k.
Related
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- explanatory
- Three Themes In Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedyanalytical essayThe Divine Comedy is a poetic Italian masterpiece by Dante Alighieri composed of three parts which he called respectively: The Inferno, The Purgatorio, and The Paradiso. As this edition’s translator, John Ciardi puts it, originally Dante simply entitled his works as The Comedy, however, in later years, it was renamed The Divine Comedy for the connections that the public saw it had with human behavior and morality (Ciardi, 2003). For the goals and purposes of this review, we will focus specifically on the portion of the book called The Inferno. At a time when religious and secular concerns were at their peak in fourteenth century Italy, a tone of conflict broke out between the church and the government. Beyond the commonalities of corruption
In this essay, the author
- Explains that dante alighieri's the divine comedy is a poetic italian masterpiece composed of three parts: the inferno, the purgatorio and the paradiso.
- Analyzes how dante's inferno challenges political paraphernalia and societal demands of the time.
- Analyzes how florence's richest city-states were split into two parties of a political manner. the grandiosity of this piece can be found in the revolutionary manner of which dante chose to speak (or write) out against the corruption of church and state.
- Analyzes how dante wrote "midway in our life's journey" in the first five words. the symbolically infused phrasing was common for the time, but curiously lacking in western writings.
- Analyzes how the plot plays on what dante imagines the human afterlife would be like. the first installment, inferno, is a fiery plunge into the depths of hell.
- Analyzes how dante's the inferno is wrought with such chilling language that it exceeds many individual’s own expectations of the perdition itself.
- Analyzes how dante's the inferno is hard to read because of the way it was written or the dark self-incriminating subject matter for the reader.
1820 wordsRead More - Dante Alighieri and The Divine Comedyexplanatory essayBorn in 1265, Dante Alighieri was one of the most famous Italian poets of his time becoming known as “The Supreme Poet.” His masterpiece, The Divine Comedy, is largely considered one of the greatest pieces of literary work ever composed. The Divine Comedy is an epic poem of more than 10000 lines divided into three parts: Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. It describes Dante’s trip through Hell(Inferno), Purgatory(Purgatorio), and Heaven(Paradiso). Since being originally written in Italian, it has since been translated several times in English and in numerous other languages. However, The Divine Comedy did not begin to flourish until the fifteenth century when the printing press made the work more widely available. Dante’s depiction of Hell in Inferno sparked a change in religious society during its time. Many people flocked to churches in order to avoid going to Dante’s hell.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that the seventh circle of violence is divided into three different rings and is guarded by the minotaur.
- Explains how dante and virgil reach the eighth circle of hell, called the malebolge, which is divided into ten bolgie, or ditches.
- Explains that the ninth and final circle is that of treachery, divided into four zones, where traitors to their family are submerged in a lake of ice.
- Explains that dante alighieri's masterpiece, the divine comedy, is considered one of the greatest pieces of literary work ever composed.
1452 wordsRead More - The Influence of the Popeanalytical essayRuud, Jay. Critical Companion to Dante: a Literary Reference to His Life and Work. New York: Facts On
In this essay, the author
- Explains that dante lived in a time of intense political strife and competition over land, resources, and people.
- Analyzes how the conflict between the guelphs and the ghibellines affected dante's life. both groups wanted a united papal and christian empire under the rule of the vatican.
- Explains that the peace came to an end in the late 1290s when the guelph party split into two opposing factions, the neri and the bianchi.
- Analyzes how the pope sowed dissent and drove the power struggle between him and the papacy and holy roman emperor philip iv. the conflict led to hostilities and tension throughout europe.
886 wordsRead More - The History Of Dante's Infernoanalytical essayThe Middle Ages spawned a revolutionary arc in religious activity. Having welcomed Christianity, and taking roots from Greek and Roman spirituality, the arts had evolved alongside divine beliefs. Dante Alighieri’s Divine Comedy explored the realms of Christianity, which included Hell (Inferno), Purgatory (Purgatorio), and Heaven (Paradiso), with the fictitious account of Dante himself traveling to each individual place. As such, his masterpiece had become a wonder of the literature world. Alongside it, the artistic visions of Donatello and Brunelleschi had held Greek and Roman beliefs in high regards as a majority of their architecture, sculptures, and other artistic aspects had derived directly from those ancient beliefs. Finally, music had
In this essay, the author
- Explains that the middle ages spawned a revolutionary arc in religious activity. dante alighieri's divine comedy explored the realms of christianity.
- Explains that dante had a romantic state of mind, and was entranced by the woman who had the will of god flow through her nature. he wrote divine comedy, which took ode to her christian values.
- Analyzes how dante had placed a prominent portion into the realms of the afterlife, specifically hell, which was the most popular portion of divine comedy.
- Analyzes how donatello and brunelleschi contributed to an era that perpetually changed western art and it was due to religion.
- Explains that brunelleschi and donatello were heavily influenced by the intricate roman designs in rome. their findings led him to redevelop techniques that were lost in roman and greek times.
- Analyzes how donatello created an era of renaissance art by drifting away from religious depiction and focusing on humanism. his most famous works had depicted christian subjects with the underlying influence of greek and roman architecture.
- Explains that donatello's statue of david exemplifies christian, greek, and roman influences. it depicts the aftermath of slaying goliath, a story from the bible.
- Explains that claudio monteverdi redefined music and created the operatic genre, but the inspiration behind his work was simply religion. orfeo was not subtle about its allegiance to greek and roman spirituality.
- Explains how dante changed the world of literature by developing a monumental work that was based on the religion of the person he loved. donatello and brunelleschi used roman and greek influences to construct buildings that continue to stand.
1142 wordsRead More - The Allegory of the Cave and Danteanalytical essay“If you would not be forgotten as soon as you are dead and rotten, either write things worth reading or do things worth writing.” This maxim applies to the poet Dante Alighieri, writer of The Inferno in the 1300s, because it asserts the need to establish oneself as a contributor to society. Indeed, Dante’s work contributes much to Renaissance Italy as his work is the first of its scope and size to be written in the vernacular. Due to its readability and availability, The Inferno is a nationalistic symbol. With this widespread availability also comes a certain social responsibility; even though Dante’s audience would have been familiar with the religious dogma, he assumes the didactic role of illustrating his own version of Christian justice and emphasizes the need for a personal understanding of divine wisdom and contrapasso, the idea of the perfect punishment for the crime. Dante acts as both author and narrator, completing a physical and spiritual journey into the underworld with Virgil as his guide and mentor. The journey from darkness into light is an allegory full of symbolism, much like that of Plato’s Allegory of the Cave, which shows a philosopher’s journey towards truth. Therefore, Dante would also agree with the maxim, “Wise men learn by others’ harms; fools scarcely by their own,” because on the road to gaining knowledge and spiritual enlightenment, characters who learn valuable lessons from the misfortunes of others strengthen their own paradigms. Nonetheless, the only true way to gain knowledge is to experience it first hand. Dante’s character finds truth by way of his own personal quest.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how dante alighieri's work contributes to renaissance italy as it is the first of its scope and size to be written in the vernacular.
- Analyzes how dante's poetry is rich in symbolism of light and darkness. he is ignorant of the workings of divine justice and possesses a corrupt and sinful soul.
- Analyzes how dante's journey through the underworld is not completely devoid of light; it is one that gathers light from a descent into darkness.
- Analyzes how plato uses the story of the allegory of the cave as an analogy for truth.
- Analyzes how dante creates his own allegory to depict his journey through hell as a pilgrimage toward truth.
- Analyzes how dante gains wisdom in his personal quest. he exhibits fear towards monstrous figures and sympathy towards those who seem tortured unjustly. plato argues that truth is possible via knowledge of the form of good.
1237 wordsRead More - Changes In Dante's Infernoanalytical essayChristianity is one of the most popular religions in the world today. Christianity has the largest amount of followers today. Over time, the religion has developed and change depending on the era. However, most of the traditional values are kept the same since its creation. Throughout many years, there have been numerous ideas originating from Christianity that do not exist today. During the development of the western world, religion played a big role in everyday lives. During the 14th century, an era of change began with the Renaissance as people experienced change and development through the western worlds. In Dante’s Inferno, some of these new beliefs, changes, and different forms of imagery can be noticed throughout the whole poem. Throughout
In this essay, the author
- Explains that christianity is one of the most popular religions in the world today. during the 14th century, an era of change began with the renaissance.
- Explains that dante's journey through exile acted as a reflection for his relationships he encountered in florence.
- Analyzes how dante's inferno is an extraordinary work of creating such imagery and creative figurative language unimaginable during his time period.
- Analyzes how dante examines the different forms of punishment and stages of hell.
- Analyzes how dante's poem was a mixture of different forms of religion and mythology of the 13th and 14th centuries.
- Concludes that change is inevitable especially in the aspect of literature through many centuries. christianity's adjustment to beliefs following time period.
1398 wordsRead More - Genius of the 1300'sanalytical essayThe 1300’s were a time on the brink of change. People were putting a higher price on education, literature was coming into the hands of the populace, and art was beginning to reflect life. Aquinas, Dante, and Giotto represented the intellectual, literary, and artistic genius of the 1300’s. These men were ahead of their time by bringing a humanistic aspect to their works. They were concerned with the human being as a creature of this world as well as the next. These men truly show the transition from Medieval to Renaissance. They also showed a balance in their concern with the human soul as well as their concern with the human as an earthly individual.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that aquinas, dante, and giotto represented the intellectual, literary, & artistic genius of the 1300's. they were ahead of their time by bringing a humanistic aspect to their works.
- Explains that st. thomas aquinas refused to accept this dichotomy stating that human reason, a gift from god, could not lead to contradictions with divine revelation.
- Analyzes how dante alighieri captured the essence of a man of the middle ages in his great work the divine comedy.
- Explains that giotto di bondone symbolized the transition from medieval to renaissance art. he brought a more humanistic approach to art by portraying humans in more realistic light.
- Explains that aquinas, dante, and giotto represent the genius of the 1300s. old thinking was challenged and replaced with creative ideas and new ways of thinking.
458 wordsRead More - Dante Alighieri's The Inferno Analysisanalytical essayOne of the most brilliantly written poems of all time, Dante Alighieri’s The Inferno transcends the time it was written in and applies to all centuries. It accurately speaks to the core of human sinfulness and the result of it. Although it does have some time-bound portions, such as the meaning of impersonation and the definition of suicide as a sin, The Inferno for the most part details sins that remain ubiquitous today. Furthermore, the overall lessons passed on by The Inferno about sin and its consequences still apply to the lives of people today as they did centuries ago. Despite the few aspects of the novel that no longer have the same meaning, Dante Alighieri’s The Inferno has withstood the test of time with the described sins and messages it attempts to convey, both of which stay relevant to this day.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how dante alighieri's the inferno transcends the time it was written in and applies to all centuries.
- Analyzes how alighieri's poem has much to say about the sins people are inclined to commit. murder has been committed by many since the dawn of humankind.
- Analyzes the differences between the 14th century and today's versions of the inferno, stating that the main message of the poem and the overall purpose does not change.
- Analyzes how dante's the inferno conveys the idea that sin has deadly consequences and that good will prevails over evil.
869 wordsRead More - Outside Influences on Dante’s Infernoanalytical essayAlighieri, Dante. Inferno A New Verse Translation, Backgrounds and Contexts, Criticism (Norton Critical Editions). Boston: W. W. Norton & Company, 2006. Print
In this essay, the author
- Explains that dante cited the bible more than any other source. he could have used psalm 23 verse 4 for his idea of the dark wood.
- Describes dante alighieri's inferno: a new verse translation, backgrounds and contexts, criticism.
- Analyzes how dante used virgil's aeneid and the bible to create his epic poem.
- Analyzes how dante divides hell into innocent, violent, and fraudulent sections. the bible's description of hell does not always match those of the bible.
- Explains hawkins, peter s., "dante and the bible". the cambridge companion to dante, 2nd ed.
839 wordsRead More - Divine Comedy In Dante's Infernoanalytical essayAmong the followers of Christianity, questions arise in order to find the righteous path to Heaven’s gate. On the contrary, there are those who seek answers for what is forsaken. Dante Alighieri fully expresses himself on this dilemma in his written work, The Divine Comedy. The first part of the epic poem is Inferno; Dante defines and constructs Hell, based on the morals and judgments set by common beliefs during his time. Dante also uses Aristotle’s philosophical work to shape the structure of Hell. Undergoing a journey through Hell as himself, Dante places famous literary icons to assist in questioning the acts of justice. Dante builds and contrast between the sinners who are innocent, and those who deliberately perform evil deeds. Virgil, a fellow poet and pagan, exemplifies wisdom and clarity that which Dante must learn through his endeavor. Virgil’s guidance will provide contrast and the necessary guidance to reach Paradise. The change of character Dante experience, is dreadful; pity and remorse must be exempted to honor retribution for the sinners’ defiance against God. All the answers regarding Hell, lies upon meeting the primal sinner, Lucifer, the Fallen Angel. Dante’s journey unfolds a critical analysis in which portrays the human struggle in every individual. There are several implications of the four functions of myth that can be derived from Dante’s Inferno. Dante divides Hell into three dispositions: incontinence, malice and brutality. (Alighieri, Dante, and Longfellow 6.79-82)
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how dante alighieri expresses his dilemma in his epic poem, the divine comedy. he divides hell into three dispositions: incontinence, malice and brutality.
- Analyzes the psychological function of dante's descriptions of the sins committed.
- Analyzes how dante incorporates greek mythology in order to display symbolism.
- Explains that dante's first encounter of the sinners in hell, were the pagans trapped in limbo.
1105 wordsRead More