Inferno
ITAL 236
Fall 2021 not offered
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In this course we read and discuss Dante's Inferno (ca. 1306-1309) and its afterlife. Inferno is the poetic description of Dante's (imagined or actual) journey through Hell. We study how its poetry and narrative embody the notions of love, sorrow, evil, guilt, redemption, and punishment. We examine the poem as both a product and an interpretation of the world it describes and of its radical otherness: its representation of the otherworld, its relationship with religion and faith, its fear of death, its obsession with the Devil. We inquire into Dante's inventiveness and poetic technique, reviewing his magisterial use of realistic and figurative language. We observe how Inferno casts its long shadow on modern culture: in the description of the horror of Nazi concentration camps (Primo Levi's memoir), or in the representation of the inauthentic life in consumerist society (Pier Paolo Pasolini's rewriting of Inferno in contemporary Italy). We investigate the challenges that Dante's text elicits when it migrates to visual and cinematic arts (or to Disney comics), continuously camouflaging and adapting to different media. And we critically reflect on how, after seven hundred years, Inferno has not finished saying what it has to say. The course is conducted in Italian. |
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| Credit: 1 |
Gen Ed Area Dept:
HA RLAN |
| Course Format: Lecture / Discussion | Grading Mode: Graded |
| Level: UGRD |
Prerequisites: None |
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Fulfills a Requirement for: (ITST)(MDST-MN)(MDST)(MDST-Art/Arch)(MDST-History)(MDST-Lang/Lit)(MDST-Phil/Reli)(RMST) |
Major Readings:
Dante Alighieri, INFERNO; Primo Levi, SE QUESTO E' UN UOMO; Pier Paolo Pasolini, LA DIVINA MIMESIS; Guido Martina - Angelo Bioletto, L'INFERNO DI TOPOLINO; Giuseppe de Liguoro, L'INFERNO (film); Henry Otto, DANTE'S INFERNO (film); Tom Phillips - Peter Greenaway, A TV DANTE (film).
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Examinations and Assignments:
Oral presentation, quizzes, discussion questions, written assignments of varied lengths (including book review), final project. This is a discussion-based class and students' active participation is expected, encouraged, and supported. |
Additional Requirements and/or Comments:
THIS COURSE IS INTENDED PRIMARILY FOR THE FOLLOWING STUDENTS: those who have a) completed the 221-222 sequence; b) who have studied in Italy (for one or two semesters); c) whose experience with Italian is very recent (e.g., studied in Italy during the Spring). This course may be suitable for students who have not completed a course at the 221-222 level but whose placement exam suggested they should take courses numbered above 221. In the event that a student with advanced reading, writing, and speaking abilities in Italian has not yet completed a course at the 221-222 level, s/he will be asked to conduct a brief oral interview with the professor during registration or drop/add. In the event that the student does not meet the prerequisites AND the professor has any doubts as to placement, he will ask the student to engage in a brief oral interview. |
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