LARTS 320 — Dante’s Purgatorio

3 credits
Spring
Sandro-Angelo De Thomasis

Dante Alighieri’s (1265–1321) Commedia is one of the most thought-provoking works of world literature. In contrast to the Inferno, Purgatorio offers a vision of transition and change—an island-mountain where souls undergo profound inner metamorphosis through art, song, music, dance, and solidarity. By the end of this course, students will have explored the intricacies of literary theory, hermeneutics, poetics, semiotics, and translation and gained a deeper appreciation of scriptural, classical, and medieval texts. Throughout the semester, assessment will be based on active class participation, weekly written reflections, and a stimulating final project.