Why should you read Dante’s “Divine Comedy”? - Sheila Marie Orfano
-
0:07 - 0:11“Abandon all hope, ye who enter here… ”
-
0:11 - 0:13Inscribed above the Gate of Hell,
-
0:13 - 0:17these ominous words warn dark
tidings for Dante -
0:17 - 0:21as he begins his descent into inferno.
-
0:21 - 0:23Yet despite the grim tone,
-
0:23 - 0:28this prophecy sets into motion what is
perhaps the greatest love story ever told; -
0:28 - 0:33an epic journey that encompasses both
the human and the divine. -
0:33 - 0:36But for Dante to reach
benevolent salvation, -
0:36 - 0:39he must first find his way through Hell.
-
0:39 - 0:43This landscape of torture is the setting
for "Inferno," -
0:43 - 0:46the first in a three-part narrative poem
-
0:46 - 0:50written by Dante Alighieri
in the 14th century. -
0:50 - 0:52Casting himself as the protagonist,
-
0:52 - 0:56Dante travels deeper and deeper
into Hell’s abyss, -
0:56 - 1:01witnessing obscene punishments distinct
to each of its nine realms. -
1:01 - 1:09Beginning in Limbo, he travels through the
circles of Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Wrath, -
1:09 - 1:13Heresy, Violence, and Fraud,
-
1:13 - 1:16to the horrific ninth circle of Treachery,
-
1:16 - 1:20where sinners are trapped under the
watchful eyes of Satan himself. -
1:20 - 1:26The following two parts, "Purgatorio" and
"Paradiso," continue Dante’s journey, -
1:26 - 1:28as he scales the Mount of Purgatory
-
1:28 - 1:32and ascends the nine celestial
spheres of Heaven. -
1:32 - 1:38Written together over 10 years, these
3 sections comprise the "Divine Comedy"– -
1:38 - 1:42an allegorical imagining of the soul’s
journey towards God. -
1:42 - 1:46But Dante’s "Divine Comedy" is more than
just religious allegory. -
1:46 - 1:51It’s also a witty, scathing commentary on
Italian politics. -
1:51 - 1:57A soldier and statesman from Florence,
Dante was staunchly faithful to God, -
1:57 - 2:00but often critical of the
Roman Catholic Church. -
2:00 - 2:05He particularly disliked its rampant
nepotism and practice of simony, -
2:05 - 2:10the buying and selling of religious
favours such as pardons from sin. -
2:10 - 2:14Many groups took advantage of these
corrupt customs, -
2:14 - 2:19but few supported them as much as the
Guelfi Neri, or Black Guelphs. -
2:19 - 2:22This was a political and religious faction
-
2:22 - 2:26which sought to expand the pope’s
political influence. -
2:26 - 2:30Dante was a member of the Guelfi Bianchi,
or White Guelphs– -
2:30 - 2:34who believed Florence needed more
freedom from Roman influence. -
2:34 - 2:37As a public representative for the
White Guelphs, -
2:37 - 2:40Dante frequently spoke out against
the pope’s power, -
2:40 - 2:43until the Black Guelphs leveraged their
position -
2:43 - 2:47to exile him from Florence in 1302.
-
2:47 - 2:48But rather than silencing him,
-
2:48 - 2:54this lifelong exile led to Dante’s
greatest critique of all. -
2:54 - 2:57Dishonored and with little hope of return,
-
2:57 - 3:02the author freely aired his grievances
with the Church and Italian society. -
3:02 - 3:04Writing the "Divine Comedy" in Italian,
-
3:04 - 3:08rather than the traditional Latin of the
educated elite, -
3:08 - 3:14Dante ensured the widest possible audience
for his biting political commentary. -
3:14 - 3:16In the "Inferno’s" circle of the Wrathful,
-
3:16 - 3:19Dante eagerly witnesses sinners
-
3:19 - 3:23tear Black Guelph Filippo
Argenti limb from limb. -
3:23 - 3:25In the circle of Fraud,
-
3:25 - 3:30Dante converses with a mysterious sinner
burning in the circle’s hottest flames. -
3:30 - 3:33He learns that this is Pope Nicholas III,
-
3:33 - 3:38who tells Dante that his two successors
will take his place when they die— -
3:38 - 3:42all three guilty of simony and corruption.
-
3:42 - 3:46Despite the bleak and sometimes violent
imagery in "Inferno," -
3:46 - 3:50the "Divine Comedy" is also a love story.
-
3:50 - 3:51Though Dante had an arranged marriage
-
3:51 - 3:55with the daughter of a powerful
Florentine family, -
3:55 - 4:01he had also been unrequitedly in love with
another woman since he was nine years old: -
4:01 - 4:03Beatrice Portinari.
-
4:03 - 4:08Despite allegedly meeting just twice,
she became Dante’s lifelong muse, -
4:08 - 4:12serving as the inspiration and subject for
many of his works. -
4:12 - 4:18In fact, it’s Beatrice who launches his
intrepid journey into the pits of Hell -
4:18 - 4:21and up the terraces of Mount Purgatory.
-
4:21 - 4:23Portrayed as a powerful, heavenly figure,
-
4:23 - 4:28she leads Dante through "Paradiso’s"
concentric spheres of Heaven -
4:28 - 4:32until he is finally face-to-face with God.
-
4:32 - 4:34In the centuries since its publication,
-
4:34 - 4:38the "Divine Comedy’s" themes of love,
sin, and redemption -
4:38 - 4:40have been embraced by numerous artists–
-
4:40 - 4:45from Auguste Rodin and Salvador Dali,
to Ezra Pound and Neil Gaiman. -
4:45 - 4:51And the poet himself received his own
belated, earthly redemption in 2008, -
4:51 - 4:56when the city of Florence finally revoked
Dante’s antiquated exile.
- Title:
- Why should you read Dante’s “Divine Comedy”? - Sheila Marie Orfano
- Speaker:
- Sheila Marie Orfano
- Description:
-
View full lesson: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/why-should-you-read-dante-s-divine-comedy-sheila-marie-orfano
“Abandon all hope, ye who enter here…” Inscribed above the Gate of Hell, this prophecy sets into motion an epic journey for salvation. Written over 10 years, Dante Alighieri’s three-part narrative poem “Divine Comedy” is both an allegorical imagining of the soul’s journey towards God and a scathing political commentary. Sheila Maria Orfano shares its timeless themes of love, sin and redemption.
Lesson by Sheila Marie Orfano, directed by Tomás Pichardo-Espaillat.
- Video Language:
- English
- Team:
closed TED
- Project:
- TED-Ed
- Duration:
- 04:56
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