29217 - Dante's Literature and Criticism (1)

Academic Year 2021/2022

  • Docente: Giuseppe Ledda
  • Credits: 6
  • SSD: L-FIL-LET/10
  • Language: Italian
  • Teaching Mode: Traditional lectures
  • Campus: Bologna
  • Corso: First cycle degree programme (L) in Humanities (cod. 8850)

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course the student has a critical knowledge of Dante's works, especially of the Comedy; he has a good training for the reading and analysis of literary texts .

Course contents

An Introduction to the Reading of Dante's «Comedy»: The «Purgatorio» and the «Paradiso»

Readings/Bibliography

Texts:

Dante Alighieri, Commedia.

The student will study the prescribed cantos in one of the following recommended commented editions: A.M. Chiavacci Leonardi (Bologna, Zanichelli); E. Pasquini-A.E. Quaglio (Milano, Garzanti); U. Bosco- G. Reggio (Firenze, Le Monnier); N. Sapegno (Firenze, La Nuova Italia); R. Merlante-S. Prandi (Brescia, La Scuola); G. Inglese (Roma, Carocci); S. Bellomo (Torino, Einaudi: only the Inferno and the Purgatorio, the last one with S. Carrai)

A complete reading and a general knowledge of the Comedy is required.

The following cantos must be studied with special attention in one of the recommended commented editions:

Inf. 1, 2, 4, 26, 34;

Purg. 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 16, 17, 19, 21, 22, 24, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33;

Par. 1, 2 (vv. 1-45), 3, 4 (vv. 1-63), 6, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 30, 31, 33.

Students who cannot attend the course will study also the following cantos:

Purg. 4, 14 e 23; Par. 8.

Foreign students will study the following cantos:

 Inf. 1, 2, 4, 26; Purg. 1, 3, 9, 10, 17, 22, 30, 31; Par. 1, 4 (vv. 1-63), 11, 12, 17, 23, 25, 30, 33.

A different selection of cantos is also possibile for foreign students: 

Inf. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 11, 17, 26, 34; Purg. 1, 3, 9, 10, 17, 30; Par. 1, 4 (vv. 1-63), 17, 30, 33.

 

Critical Literature

G. Ledda, Leggere la «Commedia», Bologna, Il Mulino, 2016 (compulsary reading).

- Four articles or book chapters chosen among the following

(Students who cannot attend the course will read six articles; they are also requested to contact the teacher for further information)

(N.B.: foreign students will read only two articles):

- M. Ariani, I «metaphorismi» di Dante, in La metafora in Dante, a cura di M. Ariani, Firenze, Olschki, 2009, pp. 1-57.

- E. Auerbach, Studi su Dante, Milano, Feltrinelli, 1984 (il cap. Sacrae Scripturae sermo humilis oppure il cap. Figura).

- Z. Barański, Dante e i segni, Napoli, Liguori, 2000 (il cap. II, Dante e i segni, pp. 41-76).

- T. Barolini, La «Commedia» senza Dio. Dante e la creazione di una realtà virtuale, Milano, Feltrinelli, 2003 (il cap. 1, Dante e la creazione di una realtà virtuale, pp. 11-35; oppure uno a scelta fra i capitoli 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 o 10).

- A. Battistini, La retorica della salvezza, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2016 (il cap. 1, Dalla «parola ornata» alle «vere parole», pp. 17-41; oppure uno a scelta fra i capitoli VI, VII, VIII, IX, X, XI, XII).

- A.M. Chiavacci Leonardi, Le beatitudini e la struttura poetica del «Purgatorio», «Giornale storico della letteratura italiana», 161, 1984, pp. 1-29.

- G. Contini, Un’idea di Dante. Saggi danteschi, Torino, Einaudi, 1976 (il cap. Dante come personaggio-poeta della «Commedia», pp. 33-62).

- R. Hollander, Il Virgilio dantesco: tragedia nella «Commedia», Firenze, Olschki, 1983 (il cap. III, Tragedia nella «Commedia», pp. 117-154).
- E. Pasquini, Dante e le figure del vero. La fabbrica della «Commedia», Milano, Bruno Mondadori, 2001 (il cap. 1, Dai prefazi ai compimenti, pp. 1-26 oppure il capitolo 8, L’approdo paradisiaco, pp. 218-256).

- L. Pertile, La puttana e il gigante. Dal Cantico dei Cantici al Paradiso Terrestre di Dante, Ravenna, Longo, 1998 (il cap.: III, Aspettando Beatrice, pp. 51-86).

- M. Picone, Scritti danteschi, Ravenna, Longo, 2017, (il capitolo L’Ovidio di Dante, pp. 193-221.

- E. Raimondi, Metafora e storia, Torino, Einaudi, 1970 (il cap. IV, Rito e storia nel I canto del «Purgatorio», pp. 65-94, oppure il cap. V, Semantica del canto IX del «Purgatorio», pp. 95-122).

Teaching methods

Lectures

Assessment methods

The final examination will be an oral conversation. In the course of this conversation will be verified the achievement of the knwoledge and abilities required, and particularly:

- the general knowledge of Dante's works and especially of the Comedy in its main structural aspects;

- the precise knowledge of the Comedy's cantos specifically indicated in the program; for these cantos will be required the ability to give a paraphrase and an analytical comment;

- the comprehension of the main information and arguments contained in the critical essays chosen by the student from those indicated in the program; the ability to present in clear and good italian those contents; the ability to apply critically the essays to the reading of the Dante's texts in program.

Teaching tools

Power Point presentations. Web sites. Photocopies of some biblical, ancient and medieval texts will be fournished.

Office hours

See the website of Giuseppe Ledda

SDGs

Good health and well-being Quality education Gender equality Peace, justice and strong institutions

This teaching activity contributes to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals of the UN 2030 Agenda.