After reading over half of Dante's Inferno,
what elements have particularly intrigued you? What details would you like to learn more about?
Then introduce 2-3 topics for a Research Paper based on your thoughts.
One of these
paper topics must tie in a direct way to something discussed in cantos
22-28. Be sure to use some details to explain why you think these
topics are important things to research in the study of Dante and the Divine
Comedy.
As I read "Dante's Inferno," my mind keeps drawing on particular words and ideas. For my research paper, I am thinking of two possible choices for research. The first being Dante's use of numbers, throught the Inferno but particularily in Canto XXIII, ( especially the numbers 1and 3) and their symbolic meaning but also the importance of their meaning within the Divine Comdey itself. My second choice is the idea of contrapasso and how each sin's punishment reflects the sin chosen by the sinners. With this idea I would focus on the importance of free will, and consequences of thought and reasoning and how ethics and moral reasoning plays a part in the sinners' choice and punishment. I think by understanding these concepts, the reader will gain a deeper insight into the meaning of Dante's poem but also understanding the poem itself. Through this, the reader can distinguish between the mind sets of the three different layers of Dante himself - the pilgrim, the narrator, and the poet.
ReplyDelete~ Leta Summers
A concept I have found interesting while reading “Inferno” is the idea of contrapasso. Dante’s description of Hell shows that each distinct sin has a distinct punishment. The punishments, especially in lower Hell, are extremely gruesome and graphic. I question what made Dante choose the circle of Hell for each sin and the punishment administered for each sin. I am also intrigued by the relationship between Virgil and Dante the pilgrim, especially in canto 23. Virgil is described as carrying Dante much like a mother would carry a child. I wonder how this extreme love of friendship came to be and how it arose so fast between the two.
ReplyDeleteLike my other classmates have said, I am interested in the concept of Virgil and Dante's relationship, especially in Canto XXIII. Virgil behaves almost as a concerned parent, because he picked Dante up and ran from the demons, and like Kirsten said, he behaves as a mother would if her child was in danger. I think this topic would be interesting to look into. Such as, do you think Virgil behaves in as a parent or as a lover? The two topics that I would like to know more about are the distinction between how bad a sin is compared to another and how does Dante categorize the sins and the people who commit those sins? I am anxious to see other topic ideas as well.
ReplyDeleteEmily Embry
After completing the readings, I want to know more about Italian history. That won't be a good topic, and to organize them more easily, I'll simply list them.
ReplyDelete1: I want to examine the Inferno's applications for historical and English education. In short: how can teachers use the Inferno as a text in the classroom?
2: It would be interesting to compare the Inferno to other fictional accounts of Hell prior to and after its publication.
3: In relation to cantos 22-28, I think it would be neat to examine Christian views on Early Islam and study Papal involvement in politics.
Jacky Killian
One topic that would be interesting to write about would be how the demons also end up in specific parts of hell. In Canto XXIII it shows that the demons can’t leave their specific pouches, which shows that they were assigned where to work. Also in Canto XXII it shows that the demons there aren’t perfect; in fact, one of the souls tricks the demons: “and as they fought, the brace / Fell into the middle of the boiling pond. / The heat unclenched them at once; but though released / They could not rise, because their wings were gummed” (Canto XXII, lines 138-141). Because the demons were out-tricked, it shows their imperfections and thus shows they are slaves as much as the souls are. But why did Dante choose specific demons for specific sections of hell? I believe it would involve a look into Greek mythology and other parts of theology I’ve not researched before. I think this would be intriguing to look into; this is important because it deals with the whole context of “The Divine Comedy.” Not only can we become knowledgeable about the sinners who end up in hell, we can also learn about the demons and the mythology behind them as well.
ReplyDeleteCanto XXV is fascinating. What I wouldn’t mind researching is how the serpent plays the story in this Canto as well as the whole “Divine Comedy.” The devil is usually represented as a snake, and I wonder if that has anything to do with this Canto; often the devil can take many forms and, from my interpretations of the Bible, can live in people, in a way. The devil controls people’s actions, letting people live the sinful life. Much like in Canto XXV, the snake and the person reverse forms: “They were changing: the one who newly stood / Drew his in toward his temples, and from the spare / Matter from that, ears issued from the head…” (Canto XXV, lines 118-120). Such an example is astonishing and terrifying at the same time, although it’s absolutely intriguing. I think it would be helpful in the overall understanding of “The Divine Comedy” if one can understand what’s specifically going on in a Canto; if Dante meant for it to be the devil or something else entirely, the symbolism is always important to know. This would certainly require studying material outside what I’m used to looking at.
As Dante and Virgil travel deeper into Hell the more dangerous their encounters and settings become. A question that arose for me and sparked in our class discussion as well is, is there more to Dante and Virgil’s relationship than just a friendship? In Canto XXIII Virgil takes control of the situation, much like a parent, or even a lover, and leads the two in a quick escape out of the demons’ layer and into the next: “My leader took me up at once and did / As would a mother awakened by a noise / Who sees the flames around her, and takes her child” (Dante 34-36). This could be seen in a comparison to the protection of a parent, or even the care and protection of a lover. I am curious to know if there is more to this than just a friendship. We are shown another similar instance in slight manner in Canto XXIV as Dante struggles to catch his breath, and Virgil encourages him onward. This could be seen in the same ambiguous sense as before as we are curious to know the type of love. We also see similar actions of protection being played out as they begin climbing: “And taking hold of me began the climb” (Dante 24). Another question that arose during this reading was, what is Dante’s view on grace and forgiveness in salvation? In the Cantos we have read, we see Dante’s mindset is that the good works done on earth by individuals is what saves them from the torment in Hell. In Christianity, good works and deeds are nothing without faith and trust in Christ, giving Him full glory rather than receiving it for ourselves. However, Dante seems to believe that the sins and glory received on earth direct you in the category of your afterlife.
ReplyDeleteActually, no, Dante does not at all say that the good works we do on earth save us--that's why all the virtuous pagans are in hell, including Virgil, and why we've been stressing since Canto 1 that human endeavors alone can never achieve salvation.
DeleteGrace and faith are absolutely essential in the Divine Comedy. The reason we don't *see* this in hell is precisely because all the folks down there rejected grace.
I am extremely interested in Dante’s idea of sin and the idea of contrapasso. Since I watch a lot of movies, I started thinking about these ideas and their reoccurrence in movies, and I’ve realized that a lot of movies that seem to have ideas of someone getting what they deserve/what they’re actions merit based on what their sin is revolve around the concept of the Seven Deadly Sins. This is a concept that obviously informs Dante’s writing, but it’s not really explicitly mentioned in the Inferno (although we have mentioned in class that it exists in Purgatorio). So, I was wondering how much of the idea of the Seven Deadly Sins informs Dante’s work, and I’m interested in comparing this idea in Dante to the idea in more recent works such as Se7en (Fincher, 1995) or Serenity (Whedon, 2005). I think these movies in particularly deal with not only the Seven Deadly Sins but with the concept of contrapasso as well, which makes it more strictly relevant to Inferno, as this is the whole basis for the punishment of sins in Dante. These movies also interest me because they aren’t adaptations of Inferno, but they do use the same ideas, so I think it’s interesting to see how Dante carries over to the modern day in that aspect.
ReplyDeleteAnother thing that has struck me while reading Inferno is Dante’s use of animal imagery. Pretty much, there seems to be a lot of it, and I would like to know what Dante intended by using some much of this imagery. In Canto XXII, this concept comes up time and time again. Dante refers to “dolphins” (line 17), “frogs” (line 24), “otter[s]” (line 34),”bird[s]” (line 92), “dove[s]” (line 125), “duck[s]” (line 127), “falcon[s]” (line 128) and “hawk[s]” (line 137), and this isn’t even the canto where a man turns into a snake, which is later in Canto XXV. This animal imagery starts in Canto I and continues throughout the poem, but why is it there? Does it intend to show the denizens of Hell as animalistic (which is the only reason I can think of for it to be there), or does it have a different/deeper purpose that I haven’t recognized?
The Seven Deadlies are more explicitly addressed in Purgatorio, where they form the schema for the seven terraces of Purgatory. We only see four of them specifically in hell (lust, gluttony, wrath, and avarice). Dante wants a different schema for understanding the nature of sin more broadly in hell.
DeleteHowever, contrapasso is absolutely being drawn upon in Se7en (I'm not remembering Dante in Serenity off the top of my head, but then again I'm not sure I saw the whole thing...).
I have picked a few things that really stood out to me throughout the poem. I am interested in the politics behind the hypocrite Caiphus and why he was put in the Sixth Pouch. I feel as though it is important to understand why he was being trampled on and why he was seen as "less" than the other hypocrites in the context of history.
ReplyDeleteMy other option for a research topic is my interest in Francesca. I want to research her background and her history to understand why she was put in the book and her specific location in the book. I am very interested in her and the fact that she blamed her sin on love and not on her own will. I will most likely go with this topic.
One topic that intrigues me is the comparison and contrast of the poem “The Inferno” and the 1911 Italian film “L’Inferno”. According to the “dust jacket” for the dvd, this film (which took over three years to make) was loosely based on “The Inferno” by Dante and the illustrations by Gustave Dore. It was the first full-length Italian film of all time.
ReplyDeleteAnother topic that is interesting to me is the image of Virgil as a “parent-figure”. He is compared to both father and mother in the text many times. Dante states in Canto XXIII:
My leader took me up at once, and did
As would a mother awakened by a noise
Who sees the flames around her, and takes her child,
Concerned for him more than herself, and flies
Not staying even to put on a shift:
Virgil seems to truly love Dante like he were his own son (an aspect which is somewhat lost in the film “L’Inferno”). My initial assumption is that this loving relationship which is emphasized in the poem must have been difficult to translate to film. Also (it is my assumption that) time constraints and the need to simplify the film for a broad, international audience contributed to the lessening of importance of the relationship between Dante and Virgil.
I am still quite intrigued with the question, “How does Dante choose who he puts in hell and why?” because I do not see a lot of consistency in the people he chooses. I understand why he uses historical figures and well-known characters (so that the audience will understand who the person is within the poem with little definition on his part) but I do not completely understand why he aligns his enemies with people whom he loved and/or respected within hell. It seems no circle is too great or small for his friends, or for his foes.
-Ann Reagan
The answer to the third question is that, fundamentally, people we love can sin and fail to repent just as easily as can the people we hate. Were Dante to just have the latter, we would run the risk of failing to recognize that fact, and our own sinful natures.
DeleteThank you, Dr. Langdon! Also, I forgot to cite the lines from the poem in my response - Lines 34-38 of Canto XXIII.
DeleteEvery time I finish reading the required readings, I have at least three or four new ideas for paper topics arise. I would say the “easiest” would probably be to focus in on Dante and Virgil’s relationship. I say easiest because it is the most consistent factor of the entire poem. While everything around the two characters changes as they get deeper into hell, their relationships stays relatively the same, Virgil is the “guide” or “protector” and Dante is somewhat of a student. This was most obvious in Canto XXIII when Virgil acknowledged that Dante was in danger and basically forced the two out of the situation to save Dante. I also found this odd, how can somewhat who hasn’t been damned to hell be hurt while in hell? This seems like an unfair rule Dante begins to establish later in the poem, or maybe it just wasn’t as obvious early on. That could be another good topic actually, how is Dante affected by hell and what dangers are “real”. My final research topic idea was to cover why exactly this piece is timeless. It has clearly stood the test of time, through several translations, so there has to be something to it. I would discuss Dante’s writing, the subject area, and how we as a modern audience respond to the Inferno. I would also want to draw parallels between Dante and modern writers that he has influenced. We will see what topic I end up going with.
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ReplyDeleteThe elements that were particularly intriguing to me is how Dante incorporated a lot of mythological figures into his poem and how he decided which sinner is place in what part of Hell. I would like to learn about the harrowing of Hell and who Beatrice really is. Research topics could be an in-depth look at the harrowing of Hell and it’s important to Dante’s poem. Another one is how to effectively teach Dante’s Inferno in a high school English class. A third one would be Virgil’s importance to Dante. My first topic is important because most people think Jesus was not doing anything when he was gone. Also it would be good to see why this story is not in the Christian canon. My second topic is important because high school students need to be exposed to great literature now, so that they will be prepared in college. Teacher would have to be a good communicator, so they students understand the meanings of the poem. My final topic would be important because it deals with the reason why Dante chose Virgil over other writers. Christopher Catlett
ReplyDeleteThe entire Divine Comedy intrigues me, but Inferno does have many aspects by itself I find intriguing. I find the levels of Hell past the walls of Dis to be the most intriguing. The sins requiring more meticulous planning and intentional acts draw me in due to their requirement of a stronger, more determined mind and will as apposed to those spur of the moment sins of the weak minded and weak willed. However, I think I may be even more intrigued by the demons found on the various levels of Hell and what may be their obvious goal or maybe a deeper more hidden meaning for who they are and why they are in the levels they are in. I believe there are twelve total demons throughout all the levels, and at the beginning of canto XXII, Dante and Virgil have come into contact with ten of them so far. I think I would like to know, in more detail and deeper meaning, what the significance of all twelve demons are, why Dante chose the ones he did, and why each one is located specifically where it is in Hell.
ReplyDeleteSince reading "Inferno" I have really noticed that the way that sins and punishments work is really quite interesting, in terms of creativity. Foe example, take the people that had been turned into trees for all eternity, and were only able to talk when people had harmed them-- the punishment system is really quite amazing. I would really like to know more about why Dante chose these forms of punishment, and the people that we encounter on the journey. I think that it would be interesting to research the different forms of punishment as well as the characters that play vital roles, such as Beatrice. Another interesting aspect of the "Inferno" comes from 23. I think that it would be beneficial to study some of the backgrounds of the groups that are mentioned within the "Inferno" such as the Franciscans. I noted in the notes in the back of the book that Virgil and Dante would mimic the act of the way that the Franciscans travel-- it would be interesting to see of there are other places in the work that mimic a group of people or make references to their ways.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading Dante’s Inferno I would like to know more about Dante’s religious background. I am sure he followed some form of Catholicism like nearly all of Italy did back in his day, but he has some very different ideas about Christianity, in particular that sins are weighed differently. An example of his strange thinking can be found in Canto XXVIII were the implication is made that once a man becomes a traitor, his soul is instantly condemned to Hell and that an evil presence animates his body in the real world. A paper along this line of thought would involve studying the religion of the Black Guelph and studying Dante’s life specifically and see who or what might have influenced his beliefs. This topic is important to Inferno because if all sins were punished equally like some sects of Christianity teach, then it would be the most boring of the three parts of Commedia and not seen as an influential piece of literature.
ReplyDeleteJust to clarify, the Guelphs (Black or White) were not a religious group--they were political factions. The religion of the European West in the Middle Ages is medieval Christianity (which is pretty much Catholicism, but medievalists tend not to refer to it as Catholicism so as to acknowledge those differences between the medieval church and present-day Roman Catholicism).
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ReplyDeleteAfter reading thus far, I still somewhat would like to focus the majority of my research paper on the questions revolving around the purpose of Dante being given this curse/opportunity to travel through hell. Why is Dante taking this journey? What is supposed to be the goal of this journey? Also, following class on Thursday, I became really intrigued with the way in which Dante decided the weight that certain types of sins carry, over others. I would love to explore this topic. I am amused by how differently each punishment and surrounding appears to be, in relation to the sin that took place.
ReplyDeleteI was most intrigued by the different punishments Dante created for each sin. I want to know more about the significance and symbolic meaning of each one. Why did he choose a certain punishment for a certain sin? Also how does Dante's real life add context to Inferno? I know he was exiled from Florence, but what else happened?
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure if this topic would meet the page requirement, but perhaps with further research it could. I am interested in the ways Beatrice is portrayed as a heroine. It is explained in Canto II that she was in touch with God, she saved Dante from the beast and then further rescues him by choosing Virgil to serve as his guide on his journey through the underworld. She is described as being full of compassion and only wishes to save Dante. Further research could allow me to learn more about Beatrice and why she was chosen to serve this role.
ReplyDeleteI'm also really interested in Dante's reactions to certain sinners. In previous cantos, he has fainted and reacted in some sort of way. In cantos XXIV and XXV, Dante seems pretty furious at everything that Vanni Fucci is saying. He even considers the serpents that wrap around Vanni Fucci his "friends" because they stopped him from talking.
I am interested in the outside influences of Dante. He makes countless allusions to works of literature, philosophy and religion that influence his character and presumably his writing. In my paper, I would like to explore this. I would like to research the specific literary influences including the most notable influence of Virgil's "Aneid."
ReplyDeleteI am also interested in the mention of the tales of King Arthur. This being a story quite different from "Inferno," I wonder what influence it had on his version of Lancelot and Guinevere, which was Francesca and Paolo. I am interested in the historical context behind the two damned lovers too. I would like to know of the validity of the story compared with how it is presented in "Inferno."
In the same light as Francesca and Paolo, I wonder too about Dante and Beatrice. I would like to know more about their story. I would also like to research his poems about her and explore the theme of love versus virtue. It almost seems that there is a negative view of heterosexuality or seeing it as only a form of reproduction. However, Dante's views of homosexuality are that the thought of sex with a man is deemed okay just not the act. If I am correct in this, then it brings up the question why does he see his poetry and infatuation with Beatrice so negatively. While, this topic isn't as well thought out as the others, it is something worth researching further.