Dante’s 10th Circle of Hell:

You run the class!!!

You have completed a surface analysis in class of Cantos 1-5 of Dante’s Inferno and most of you did a semi-okay job of it. Now we delve further into the depths of hell…

When you read your canto, you should make sure to do the following:

Step 1: Complete a close reading of the text.

This does not mean putting your face extra close to the book and hoping that thoughts and ideas leap into your head. This means reading the entire Canto carefully, looking for literal meaning and possible symbolic meaning. What is Dante’s tone in the Canto? What is his purpose? Who was his audience for The Divine Comedy? Do you think this plays a role in how the Canto was written?

Step 2: Characters/Places

Research the significance of any characters or places mentioned in the Canto for their significance to the story and/or to Dante the Poet. Why does he choose to include them in the Canto? In The Divine Comedy at all? You don’t have to go crazy here. Just know who he’s talking about and why he might have put them in.

Step 3: Symbolism/Allegorical Meaning

If Dante is “Everyman” how is information in the Canto you are analyzing common to humankind? What are some common symbols or archetypes found in the Canto? Can you define it as an Allegory? How? (An allegory is a form of extended metaphor, in which objects, persons, and actions in a narrative, are equated with the meanings that lie outside the narrative itself. The underlying meaning has moral, social, religious, or political significance, and characters are often personifications of abstract ideas. Thus an allegory is a story with two meanings, a literal meaning and a symbolic meaning.) How is Dante commenting on Medieval society? On humanity in general?

Step 4: Analyze the “Contrapasso”.

A contrapasso is the relationship between a crime and a punishment. In other words, a "punishment that fits the crime." In Dante's Hell, sinners are punished in a way that somehow reflects what they did wrong on earth while they were living. Sometimes the contrapasso is extremely similar in nature, but sometimes it is the opposite--a mirror image. Why does Dante choose the punishments to the sins he lists?

Step 5: Think about the themes that you see present in the Cantos.

Are any of the following themes reflected in the canto: human suffering, fate vs. free will, divine love, divine justice, punishment vs. rehabilitation, enlightenment/knowledge, storytelling as a form of control, chasing possibility, controlling chaos, human frailty, purpose in life? Any other theme you can come up with?

Here’s what you will do on the day of your presentation:

  1. Give a brief synopsis to the class of each of the cantos, in which you explain what is literally taking place.
  2. Develop 1-2 discussion question that relate to the theme(s) you think are relevant to your cantos to our contemporary issues about life and the human experience. The questions should be specific to the theme, not specific to the text.
  3. Find some contemporary piece – video, podcast, news story/article – that relates to one of the themes/topics from your Cantos. If you are using a video/podcast, you should find something that’s about 20-25 minutes. Incorporate (logically) the piece you found into your discussion.
  4. Lead the class discussion in the overall discussion.

And this is what you must hand in…(If you are going in May, this part can be handed in up to a week after your presentation. If you are going in June, this is due on the presentation date.)

1.Some (brief) responses to each of the steps detailed on the previous page.

2.Choose one of the levels of hell you read about. Give an explanation of who you would put in that level today. You should be specific (just like Dante is) and have legitimate, well-thought out reasons for having those people there. This part can be in the form of a document or something more creative. More creative is more fun. Put in at least 9 people and explain why each is in there.

3.Write an original Canto for that level (minimum 33 lines) that includes;

  • a title that describes those who reside there;
  • an interesting Dante character (the soul on a journey);
  • a Dantean realization;
  • an interesting Virgil character (the guide);
  • modern day sinners (easily recognizable to your audience);
  • some vehicle for perspective and punishment analogous to Dante’s mythological figures;
  • perfect contrapasso.
  • Extra points for coming up with your own rhyme scheme!

NB: Everyone is responsible for reading the summaries of ALL of the Cantos. You are only responsible to read the Cantos, themselves, for the ones to which you are assigned/have chosen.

NEMB: I will be having random (easy) quizzes to make sure everyone is reading the summaries.

Dante Presentations/Reading Schedule

Cantos 12-15

Friday, 5/15

______

______

______

______

Cantos 15-17

Monday, 5/18

______

______

______

______

Cantos 18-20

Tuesday, 6/2

______

______

______

______

Cantos 21-23

Thursday, 6/4

______

______

______

______

Cantos 24-26

Monday, 6/8

______

______

______

______

Cantos 28-30

Wednesday , 6/10

______

______

______

______