Dante

For over seven centuries, Dante and his masterpiece, The Divine Comedy, have held a special place in Western culture. The poem is at once a vivid journey through hell to heaven, a poignant love story, and a picture of humanity’s relationship to God. It is so richly imaginative that a first reading can be bewildering. In response, Peter Hawkins has written an inspiring introduction to the poet, his greatest work, and its abiding influence. His knowledge of Dante and enthusiasm for his vision make him an expert guide for the willing reader.

List of Illustrations xi Acknowledgments xiii List of Abbreviations xv Prologue: Invitation to a Reader xvii 1 Dante’s Life and Works 1 The Life Story 3 The Figure of Beatrice 6 Political Life 8 The Work of Exile 11 On Vernacular Eloquence and Philosophy for All 14 Universal Empire 16 The Birth of the Commedia 17 Vision or Brainstorm? 18 Textual Inspiration for the Poem 20 Early Circulation of the Poem 23 2 Dante’s Journey to God 29 Inferno 33 Purgatorio 47 Paradiso 60 3 Dante’s Beatrice 71 The Advent of Beatrice 72 The Problem of Beatrice 73 The Novelty of Beatrice 76 Bidding Adieu 78 Eros and Sex in the Commedia 83 Paolo and Francesca, Dante and Beatrice 84 Dante’s Sexuality 88 A Beloved in the Flesh 93 4 Dante’s Religion 98 Dante’s Core Beliefs 99 Christian Florence 101 A Personal Faith Story 105 But Where is Christ? 107 The Christ of the Theologians 108 Mediations of Christ in the Commedia 110 Mary as Christ’s Flesh 113 Daughter of Her Son 120 The Beatific Smile 122 5 Dante’s Afterlife 131 Dante in English 137 From Beyond the Pale to Cultural Centrality 139 Twentieth-Century Dante 144 The Artist’s Dante 149 The Commedia in Performance: Drama, Film, Television 150 Postmodern Dante 153 Commedia in Comics 159 What Next? 163 Notes 167 Bibliography 176 Index 184