Dante: Fall 2010
ITC 349 (36900) / E 322 (34505) / EUS 347
(36040)
TTH 11-12:30 in Parlin 203
Professor Guy Raffa, Dept. of French and Italian
Office Hours: TTH 12:30-2 in HRH 3.104A; phone:
471-6390
E-mail: guyr@uts.cc.utexas.edu;
Home Page: http://uts.cc.utexas.edu/~guyr
The Divine Comedy offers a remarkable
panorama of the late Middle Ages through one man's poetic vision of the
afterlife. However, we continue to read and study the poem not only to learn
about the thought and culture of medieval and early modern Europe but also
because many of the issues confronting Dante and his age are no less important
to individuals and societies today. Personal and civic responsibilities,
governmental accountability, church-state relations, economics and social
justice, Dante's influence on artists and other writers, benefits and
limitations of interdisciplinarity--these are some of the themes that will
frame our discussion of the Divine Comedy. Although you will read the poem in
English, a bilingual edition will enable you to study and learn famous lines in
the original Italian. The course is taught in English.
Danteworlds (
http://danteworlds.laits.utexas.edu/): In addition to detailed entries,
audio recordings, and study questions, this Web site contains hundreds of
images from works by Sandro Botticelli, an anonymous 16th-century artist, John
Flaxman, William Blake, Gustave Dor, and Suloni Robertson.
Through close reading,
class discussion, and the use of Danteworlds, you are expected to
identify and explain the significance of major characters, references, and
ideas in Dante's Divine Comedy (Inferno, Purgatory, and Paradise) and Vita Nuova. You will be tested on
this ability in two exams. Take-home essays will assess your ability to support
an interpretation of a specific aspect of Dante's poetry with detailed textual
analysis. I expect you to have read the assigned cantos and reviewed the
corresponding material in Danteworlds (including the study questions) before class
so that you can participate actively and substantively in class discussion.
Assignments
and Computation of Grade:
Two
In-class examinations (25% each): 50%
Two Take-home essays (15% each): 30%
Class
participation and preparation (including unannounced quizzes): 20%
Regular
attendance is required: No student who misses more than 6 classes (3 weeks) for
any reason can complete the course with a passing grade.
REQUIRED TEXTS: Inferno, Purgatorio and Paradiso (Trans. Allen
Mandelbaum)
Vita Nuova (Trans. Barbara
Reynolds)
OPTIONAL TEXT: The Complete
Danteworlds: A Reader's Guide to the "Divine Comedy" (Raffa)
Dante: Additional Information
Grading
and Plagiarism: All assignments will be graded on a 100 point scale and
converted to letter grades consistent with university policy:
A
(94-100) = 4.0, A- (90-93) = 3.67, B+ (88-89) = 3.3, B (84-87) = 3.0, B-
(80-83) = 2.67, C+ (78-79) = 2.3, C (74-77) = 2.0, C- (70-73) = 1.67, D+
(68-69) = 1.3, D (64-67) = 1.0, D- (60-63) = 0.67, F (below 60) = 0.0
Plagiarism,
intentional or not, will result in an automatic F on the assignment as well as
possible disciplinary action. For the definition of plagiarism and the
University's policy on it, see: http://deanofstudents.utexas.edu/sjs/scholdis.php
University Notices and Policies
University of Texas
Honor Code: The
core values of The University of Texas at Austin are learning, discovery,
freedom, leadership, individual opportunity, and responsibility. Each member of
the university is expected to uphold these values through integrity, honesty,
trust, fairness, and respect toward peers and community.
Documented Disability
Statement: The
University of Texas at Austin provides upon request appropriate academic
accommodations for qualified students with disabilities. For more
information, contact Services for Students with Disabilities at 471-6259
(voice) or 232-2937 (video phone) or http://www.utexas.edu/diversity/ddce/ssd
Use of E-Mail for
Official Correspondence to Students: E-mail is recognized as an official
mode of university correspondence; therefore, you are responsible for reading
your e-mail for university and course-related information and announcements.
You are responsible to keep the university informed about changes to your e-mail
address. You should check your e-mail regularly and frequently—I
recommend daily, but at minimum twice a week—to stay current with
university-related communications, some of which may be time-critical. You can
find UT Austin's policies and instructions for updating your e-mail address at http://www.utexas.edu/its/policies/emailnotify.php
Religious Holy Days: By UT Austin policy,
you must notify me of your pending absence at least fourteen days prior to the
date of observance of a religious holy day. If you must miss a class, an examination, a
work assignment, or a project in order to observe a religious holy day, I will
give you an opportunity to complete the missed work within a reasonable time
after the absence.
Behavior Concerns Advice
Line (BCAL): If
you are worried about someone who is acting differently, you may use the
Behavior Concerns Advice Line to discuss by phone your concerns about another
individual's behavior. This service is provided through a partnership among the
Office of the Dean of Students, the Counseling and Mental Health Center (CMHC),
the Employee Assistance Program (EAP), and The University of Texas Police
Department (UTPD). Call 512-232-5050 or visit http://www.utexas.edu/safety/bcal
DANTE COURSE SYLLABUS
8/26: Introduction; Multimedia Dante
8/31: Inferno 1-3 (Fence-sitters)
9/2: 4-6 (Limbo, Lustful, Gluttons)
9/7: 7-9 (Avaricious & Prodigal, Wrathful
& Sullen)
9/9: 10-12 (Heretics, Murderers)
9/14: 13-16 (Suicides, Blasphemers, Sodomites)
9/16: 17-19 (Usurers, Panderers & Seducers,
Flatterers, Simonists)
9/21: Blanton Museum: meet there for guided
tour of European painting
9/23: 20-26 (Soothsayers, Grafters, Hypocrites,
Thieves, Evil Counselors)
9/28: 27-30 (Evil Counselors, Schismatics,
Falsifiers)
9/30: 31-34 (Giants, Traitors)
10/5: Purgatorio 1-4 (Cato, Casella,
Manfred, Belacqua)
10/7: 5-9 (Buonconte, Pia, Sordello, Nino,
Conrad)
10/12: 10-12 (Omberto, Oderisi); Take-Home
Essay Due
10/14: Purg. 13-16 (Sapia, Guido del
Duca, Marco Lombardo)
10/19: Exam I
10/21: Dante's Inferno: film adaptation; Read Purg.
17-20 (Abbot of Zeno, Pope Adrian V, Hugh Capet)
10/26: 21-24 (Statius, Forese, Bonagiunta); Vita
Nuova pp. 1-45
10/28: 25-27 (Guinizzelli, Daniel); Vita
Nuova pp. 46-64
11/2: 28-33 (Matelda, Beatrice)
11/4: Paradiso 1-4 (Moon)
11/9: 5-9 (Moon, Mercury, Venus)
11/11: 10-14 (Sun)
11/16: 15-20 (Mars / Jupiter)
11/18: 21-27 (Saturn, Stars, Primum Mobile)
11/23: 28-30 (Primum Mobile, Empyrean)
THANKSGIVING
11/30: 31-33 (Empyrean); Take-Home Essay Due
12/2: Exam II