Dante Today

Citings & Sightings of Dante's Works in Contemporary Culture

The Crown S01E03, “Windsor” (2016)

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The-Crown-Edward-Letter-to-wife-frozen-sunless-hellIn Season 1, Episode 3 of Netflix’s The Crown, Edward, the Duke of Windsor, refers to his family members in Dantesque terms, aligning them with the traitors in the ninth circle. Writing to his wife, he explains [as actor Alex Jennings narrates in a voiceover], “My dear darling Peaches… They say hell is an inferno. What a sunless, frozen hell we both escaped in England. And what a bunch of ice-veined monsters my family are. How cold and thin-lipped, how dumpy and plain. How joyless and loveless.”

Read a recap of the episode (with spoilers) here.

Underworld by Symphony X

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“No doubt Symphony X is one of the bands whose songwriting and lyrical capabilities very closely resemble Dante’s style,” writes Loudwire’s Katy Irizary. “They’re known for writing lengthy concept albums that often pay homage to Greek mythology, literature, and poetry. 2015’s ‘Underworld’ is all about ‘Inferno,’ taking the listener on the very same terrifying journey as Dante, only in their own words.”  – Katy Irizary, Loudwire, August 15, 2018

Read the full Loudwire article here.

Sails of Charon by Scorpions

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“In Dante’s poem, Charon escorts the author and his guide, Virgil, across the river to the realm of the damned. The Scorpions make reference to a “blind man” in this cut from 1977’s ‘Taken By Force.’ This is in reference to the lost souls who did not have a coin for Charon, so they must blindly wander the banks of Styx for hundreds of years.”  – Katy Irizary, Loudwire, August 15, 2018

Read the full Loudwire article here.

Inferno “Illusion Dance”, NoGravity Theatre (2021)

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“Un’opera d’arte completamente insolita, sorprendente e fantasiosa; l’obiettivo richiesto è innegabilmente meravigliare ma, in più, lo spettacolo si basa interamente sui gesti del corpo e su un complesso macchinario privo di qualsiasi elemento virtuale o tecnologico; c’è solo la luce che si infiltra in diagonale su un nero permanente paragonabile ai fondali dei dipinti di Caravaggio”    –Antonio Audino, NoGravity Theatre

Inferno is one of the shows presented by touring theatre/dance company NoGravity Theatre. View a post about another one of their shows, Divina Commedia, here.

For more information about the show and the company, visit their website here.

How to Cite

Coggeshall, Elizabeth, and Arielle Saiber, eds. Dante Today: Citings and Sightings of Dante's Works in Contemporary Culture. Website. Access date.

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