Purpose: Practice discovering the epic themes of the sacred and the secular, the hero and his journey, and mortality by considering a major literary epic, the Inferno. This discussion should build your critical reading and analysis skills, as well as help prepare you for your essays later in the course. Keep in mind that, your central concern is to understand what the evidence about these epic themes reveals about the relationship between the epic heroes and their own cultures as well as the relationship between epic heroes and heroic elements common to human society in all times.
Bloom’s Analyze
Tasks: Use the steps below to write 1-2 full paragraphs connected to the purpose and overarching themes in the readings for this unit. Pick Option 1, 2, or 3 below, and follow the steps outlined.
Option 1: Secular and sacred aspects of Medieval Italian culture as found in the Inferno: What are some political and social issues of the time, and how do characters such as Ciacco, Bocca, Archbishop Ruggieri, or even Dante exemplify these issues? How does the church of the time judge them, in Dante’s opinion as the author of the poem?
Option 2: The hero and his journey: How does the portrayal of the traveler in hell, Dante, compare with heroes and their journeys in other cultures or in our culture today? Provide some examples of Dante the hero’s experiences and consider the outcome of his journey.
Option 3: Mortality: Except for Dante the hero, all characters in the Inferno are no longer living. Discuss the consequences of people’s actions or lack of action that Dante sees along the way. Why is Dante subjected to this journey? Are there any similarities in this view of life and death to beliefs held at other times, or even today?
Start by deciding which option above you would like to write about. Once you have made that decision, then:
Select a relevant passage of your own choosing from the Inferno (the lines of poetry, not a summary). Choose carefully, thinking about how your passage might speak to overarching themes and the bolded text in the Purpose, above.
Depending on which option you chose, explain the following:
Option 1: How does your passage illustrate a conclusion about judgment of human actions as seen in the Inferno, and how is that significant or important for understanding the Medieval Italian culture–or the relationship between secular and sacred more generally?
Option 2: How does your passage illustrate a conclusion about Dante’s journey in the Inferno, and what does it signify that the journey is allegorical?
Option 3: How does your passage illustrate a conclusion about understanding of the afterlife perceived by Dante, and how is that significant or important for understanding mortality as viewed in Medieval times or more generally?
You might want to sketch out your initial thoughts in lists, a concept map, or whatever note format helps you the most.
Structure and revise your initial thoughts into 1-2 robust, well-developed paragraphs, using the passage you have selected as evidence to support your ideas, and post them in the discussion.
Respond substantively to at least two of your classmates’ posts, explaining why you agree or disagree with them (and you may agree with some parts and disagree with others). Include other thoughts you may have about their topic and ideas. Include a quotation to support each of your responses.