Dante

1. Auflage 2006
ISBN: 978-1-4051-3052-3
Verlag: John Wiley & Sons

Buch, Englisch, 224 Seiten, Format (B × H): 127 mm x 203 mm, Gewicht: 248 g

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.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Hawkins, Peter S.

Inhaltsverzeichnis

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

Über Autor(innen)

Peter S. Hawkins is Professor of Religion at Boston University, where he directs the Luce Program in Scripture and Literary Arts. His publications include Dante’s Testaments: Essays on Scriptural Imagination (1999), The Poets’ Dante: Twentieth-Century Reflections (edited with Rachel Jacoff, 2000), and The Language of Grace (2005).