Reading Dante: The Pursuit of MeaningReading Dante: The Pursuit of Meaning examines the problem of determining the thematic unity of Dante's Divina Commedia in the history of Dante studies. The question of unity has puzzled Dante readers for centuries, due to an apparent discrepancy between Dante's construction of the afterworld and medieval Christian teachings on the conditions of the afterlife. If all sins condemned in Hell can be forgiven, we would expect to see them purged in Purgatory and their virtuous opposite celebrated in Paradise. In Dante's account, however, the three realms of the afterlife appear as self-contained entities with only partially related structures that undermine the establishment of thematic correspondences and the determination of the poem's thematic unity. Was Dante inconsistent in his exposition of the divine order, or have Dante scholars been inconsistent in their treatment of the poem's thematic content? Jesper Hede examines the prevalent strategies of reading applied by Dante scholars in their attempt to solve the problem of unity. Detailing the major contributions to the resolution of the problem and focusing on medieval philosophy and modern hermeneutics, Hede argues that a systematic parallel reading of the poem's three parts reveals that it is the vision of divine order that gives the poem its thematic unity. |
Contents
Enigma of Meaning | 1 |
Heraclitean River | 41 |
Design in the Wax | 81 |
Fragile Leaves of the Sibyl | 125 |
Courage of Venus | 171 |
Circle of Violence | 219 |
267 | |
277 | |
285 | |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
According afterworld allegorical angelic orders Aquinas Aristotle assertion attributes Barolini Beatrice Brunetto Brunetto Latini Cambridge University Press canto Carlo celestial claim Cogan Comedy Commedia concept concupiscible constitute Convivio cultural Cunizza Dante Alighieri Dante reading Dante scholars Dante studies Dante's Dante's poem discourse displays disposition distinction divine Divine Comedy doctrine elements emphasizes Erich Auerbach example explain Folco Fragile Leaves grace Harold Bloom hermeneutic Holy Spirit human Inferno interpretation irascible journey literary meaning medieval narrative natural notion Paradise parallel reading perspective Plato poem's thematic coherence poetic political principles Priscian problem Purg purgation Purgatory question Rahab realm reason reference relation rhetoric says secular segmental reading Seung Seung argues Seung's theory seventh circle sinful acts Singleton sinners sodomy soul spheres structure terrace textual thematic content theme theological Thomistic timocracy tion trans triads Trinitarian Trinity understanding Venus heaven Vergil vice violence virtues vision Western Canon wrath