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.
Tasks: Use the steps below to write 1-2
full paragraphs connected to the purpose and overarching themes in the
readings for this unit.
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.
Criteria on which you will be graded:
Your selection of passages to support your argument is thoughtful
Your analysis is specific and original
Your post speaks to your selected theme and the Purpose above.
Your responses to your classmates are respectful and substantive
Your writing is clear and well-organized