Dante
: Spring 2008ITC 349 (37515) / E 322 (35020) / EUS 361 (36445): TTH 2-3:15 in HRH 2.112
Guy P. Raffa, Dept. of French and Italian Office Hours: TTH 11-12:30 in HRH 3.104A; phone: 471-6390 e-mail: guyr@uts.cc.utexas.edu web site: 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, literary and artistic influences, 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 and contains a substantial writing component. There is no final examination.
Danteworlds: You are expected to use this multimedia Web site, created specifically for the course, for class preparation and writing assignments. In addition to detailed entries, audio recordings, and study questions, the site contains hundreds of images from works by Sandro Botticelli, an anonymous 16th-century artist, John Flaxman, William Blake, Gustave Dorè, and Suloni Robertson.
Assignments and Computation of Grade:
Take-Home Essays on Inferno (1500 words): 25%
Take-Home Essays on Purgatory (1500 words): 25%
Formal Literary Essay (1500 words): 30%
Class preparation and participation (including pop 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 TEXTS: Danteworlds: A Reader's Guide to the "Inferno" (Raffa) A Pocket Style Manual (Hacker)
ON RESERVE (PCL): Danteworlds: A Reader's Guide to the "Inferno" (Raffa), The Cambridge Companion to Dante (Jacoff, ed.), Dante: The "Divine Comedy": A Student Guide (Kirkpatrick), Dante: A Brief History (Hawkins), Dante: Vita, opere, fortuna (Barbi), Vita di Dante (Petrocchi)
"The University of Texas at Austin provides upon request appropriate academic accommodations for qualified students with disabilities. For more information, contact the Office of the Dean of Students at 471-6259, 471-4641 TTY."
DANTE COURSE SYLLABUS
1/15: Introduction
1/17: Inferno 1-3 (Fence-sitters)
1/22: 4-6 (Limbo, Lustful, Gluttons)
1/24: 7-9 (Avaricious & Prodigal, Wrathful & Sullen)
1/29: 10-12 (Heretics, Murderers)
1/31: 13-16 (Suicides, Blasphemers, Sodomites)
2/5: Reading Day (no class): 17-18 (Usurers, Panderers & Seducers, Flatterers); Visit the Blanton Museum
2/7: 19-23 (Simonists, Soothsayers, Grafters, Hypocrites)
2/12: 24-26 (Thieves, Evil Counselors)
2/14: 27-30 (Evil Counselors, Schismatics, Falsifiers)
2/19: 31-34 (Giants, Traitors)
2/21: Take-Home Essays Due; Dante's Inferno (1935 film)
2/26: Purgatorio 1-4 (Cato, Casella, Manfred, Belacqua)
2/28: 5-9 (Buonconte, Pia, Sordello, Nino, Conrad)
3/4: 10-12 (Omberto, Oderisi)
3/6: Individual Conferences (optional)
SPRING BREAK
3/18: 13-16 (Sapia, Guido del Duca, Marco Lombardo)
3/20: 17-20 (Abbot of Zeno, Pope Adrian V, Hugh Capet)
3/25: 21-24 (Statius, Forese, Bonagiunta); Vita Nuova pp. 1-45
3/27: 25-27 (Guinizzelli, Daniel); Vita Nuova pp. 46-64
4/1: 28-33 (Matelda, Beatrice)
4/3: Paradiso 1-4 (Moon); Take-Home Essays Due
4/8: 5-9 (Moon, Mercury, Venus)
4/10: 10-14 (Sun)
4/15: 15-18 (Mars, Jupiter)
4/17: 19-22 (Jupiter, Saturn)
4/22: 23-27 (Stars / Primum Mobile)
4/24: 28-30 (Primum Mobile / Empyrean)
4/29: 31-33 (Empyrean)
5/1: Formal Essay Due
THERE IS NO FINAL EXAMINATION
Department of French and Italian, College of Liberal Arts, UT Austin