Articles

“Riflessioni semiserie da dantedì ovvero la lezione di Beatrice”, Antonella Valoroso (2021)

April 11, 2022 By Harrison Betz, FSU '25

“Mentre tramonta il sole sul dantedì2021, in quella che per Dante è ‘’l’ora che volge il disìo’, mi viene in mente che, nonostante il mio ininterrotto amore per il divino poeta, non ho mai provato a pensare a Dante in una prospettiva femminista. Ed ecco che TRE riflessioni si accavallano e si intrecciano l’una all’altra, proprio come i versi delle terzine della Commedia.

“Riflessione numero uno, ispirata dalle illustrazioni dell’Inferno di Gustave Doré. Riflessione numero due, ispirata dal dipinto ‘Francesca di Rimini nell’inferno dantesco’ di Nicola Monti, recentemente acquisito dalla Galleria degli Uffizi. Riflessione numero tre, ispirata dai versi 7-12 del XVII canto del Paradiso.

“Buon dantedì (e e ogni altro giorno) a tutte le donne e a tutti gli uomini che non hanno paura di dare voce propri pensieri e al proprio disìo!” [. . .] –Antonella Valoroso, Corriere, March 27, 2021 (retrieved April 11, 2022)

To read Valoroso’s full reflections, visit the full article here.

The real scandal of Dante’s Beatrice Blog Article, Oxford University Press (2021)

April 10, 2022 By Harrison Betz, FSU '25

In honor of the 700th anniversary of Dante’s death, the Oxford University Press asked authors with Dante-related writings to submit articles to the OUPblog. The following was written by Duke University’s Associate Professor of Italian Studies, Martin Eisner:

“For over 700 years, Dante’s description of his first encounter with Beatrice has scandalized readers. Medieval commentators debate Dante’s possible blasphemy in glorifying a mortal woman. Counter-reformation editors censor it. Some modern interpreters see it as a theological or political allegory without biographical foundation, while others consider it an idealized modern reciprocal romance. In Dante’s New Life of the Book, I examine how these various responses from Giovanni Boccaccio to Orhan Pamuk bring into focus the novelty of Dante’s Beatrice, who creates a connection to the divine that includes not only Beatrice, but all humans. Beatrice embodies Dante’s optimistic sense of human potentiality that provides the philosophical ground for the rewards and punishments of the Divine Comedy.

“Beatrice is not the singular, exclusive child of God. She represents all humans, whose souls God breathes directly into them (Purgatory, canto 25) . . . Joining his love of a mortal woman with his love of God, Dante expands his vision to encompass other individuals as well. You may worry that Dante has put too much on the shoulders of an eight-year-old girl, but the real scandal of Dante’s Beatrice is that Dante thinks you can be Beatrice, too.” [. . .] –Martin Eisner, OUPblog, September 9, 2021 (retrieved April 10, 2022)

Divinity and damnation — why Dante still matters Article, Financial Times (2021)

March 30, 2022 By Harrison Betz, FSU '25

“‘Onorate l’altissimo poeta!’ — ‘Honour the supreme poet!’ In Dante’s Divine Comedy, these words are said of Virgil, Dante’s guide through Hell and Purgatory. Now, 700 years after Dante’s death on September 14, 1321, it seems more right than ever to apply the words to Dante himself.

“Dante’s reputation has never stood higher. He has been revered by an extraordinary number of the greatest poets and writers of the past hundred years — Eliot, Pound, Joyce, Beckett, Borges, Montale, and the great Armenian poet Yeghishe Charents, to name only a few.” [. . .] –Robert Chandler, Financial Times, September 28, 2021 (retrieved March 30, 2022)

Chandler’s article, published originally in the British newspaper Financial Times, goes on to review three Dante-related books: Dante by Alessandro Barbero, a translation of Purgatorio by D.M. Black, and Visions of Heaven by Martin Kemp. View our posts for each of these by clicking their respective links. The full text of the article is available here.

Dante was wrong. There are in fact 10 circles of hell. Article, IFA Magazine (2022)

March 22, 2022 By Harrison Betz, FSU '25

On March 10, 2022, British-owned IFA Magazine posted an article titled “Dante was wrong. There are in fact 10 circles of hell.” The authors state:

“The tenth is occupied by former Government housing ministers and is named Ineptitude.

“If you’re into psychological self-flagellation, have a read. If you’re not, all you need to know is that, in the final three months of last year, a lot less houses were built than in the preceding quarter and the same quarter of 2020. In short, the housebuilding omnishambles continues apace.” [. . .] —IFA Magazine, March 10, 2022 (retrieved March 22, 2022)

Dante’s Inferno: It’s Time for the Lost Sequel Article, Gina Roberts (2021)

January 13, 2022 By Harrison Betz, FSU '25

“Rumors have been surfacing regarding the potential return of an old franchise that is expected to be announced during next month’s EA Play.

“Dante’s Inferno is a fantastic game that received a lot of marketing and heavy support from EA at the time, even having a Super Bowl ad. It also received generally positive reviews and was impressive-looking for its time. Even though it has some graphic elements, it caused little controversy and went on to inspire a comic, an animated short, and a planned film adaptation.

“Dante’s Inferno was fantastic, but it didn’t get a chance to blossom. Instead of resurrecting games and franchises everyone knows and already loves, it’s time for the industry to pay attention to some underrated gems, giving life to titles that could have flourished if given the chance. Dante’s Inferno is a prime candidate for such treatment — after all, dark beat ’em ups certainly haven’t gone out of style.” [. . .] –Gina Roberts, Comic Book Resources, June 22, 2021 (retrieved January 12, 2022)

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