DANTE
PAPER
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AP
LIT & COMP
Mr.
Steen
The following are suggested topics for the
final paper in Dante:
Analytical:
1. As Dante goes deeper and deeper into hell, his attitude toward the sinners begins to change, yet he seems still to alternate between sympathy and contempt. Trace his spiritual progress through his treatment of the sinners he encounters and through his interaction with Virgil.
2. Dante makes use of fictional, biblical,
mythological, and historical characters to populate and characterize the various
levels of hell. Choose to focus on one of these categories and show in detail
how Dante’s treatment of it differs from the others.
3. The waters of hell offer many
opportunities for symbolism, both geographical and moral. Take us on a journey
of hell’s tributaries, estuaries, and bayous, and show how these waters serve
Dante’s allegorical purposes.
4. Dante reserves his greatest venom for the corrupt ecclesiastical figures in this poem--specifically Nicholas III, Boniface VIII, and Clement V. First, why did he hate them in particular? Second, where in the poem is religious corruption particularly mentioned? (RESEARCH NEEDED)
5. Virgil first wrote about a journey to
hell in Book VI of the Aeneid. Read Virgil’s account and compare it in some
detail to Dante’s.
6. Many of the characters in Dante's hell are cowering and pitiful, yet some achieve nobility of spirit. Discuss the characters whose noble souls stand proud before Hell, contrast them with the merely defiant, and discuss why Dante may have put them here.
7. As Dante proceeds through Hell, there are many instances where he contrasts the power of human reason (Virgil) to the power of God. Discuss this contrast and show how, despite his prior knowledge of Hell, Virgil's powers are limited.
8. This is an incredibly political poem, with the conflict between the Ghibellines and the Guelphs at the center of much of it. Show how both Dante's exile and his almost obsession with this conflict influence the theme and action of the poem. (RESEARCH NEEDED)
9. Discuss the political world of the Inferno in relation to Florence, Rome, and Holy Roman Empire.
10.
Show how the many different visual and aural images, metaphors, and similes make
vivid the scenes in the Inferno. That is, this is a poem that draws on
ALL our senses to evoke the world of Hell. Which ones are predominant, which
make the greatest impression, and are there any unusual uses or combinations of
the senses that create startling impressions?
Imaginative:
1. Write the “missing canto.” Find a place in hell’s geography where you think you could add a sin and a level. It could be a circle of Malebolge or could be entirely independent of any of the other circles. Write the canto as closely to the way Dante would have written it as possible. You (not Dante) are accompanied by Virgil, and together you and he describe the geography of this round, the sights and smells, the sinners and their punishments. You obviously stop to talk to a sinner or two, see others or hear them named, and make whatever biblical or mythological references you can to give substance and metaphysical meaning to the circle. You are, of course, trying to mimic Dante’s style and even his poetry if you can, and you should consider “footnotes” and even an argument at the beginning.
2. Create your own
hell, with its attendant geography, levels, plan, etc. Your model for this is
Canto 11, where Virgil gives Dante the overall plan for this round. You will
need a controlling physical metaphor, an overall classification of sins and the
justification for this classification, and a sampling of the different kinds of
punishments meted out to the different sinners. Your plan need not follow
Dante’s in any way at all, but it must have a logical coherence of its own. It
can’t be just what you think is really bad and what’s not so bad—that’s
way too subjective.
1) The canto should be about as long as one of Dante's (140 lines or so).
2) You should make every effort to write in at least the same rhyme scheme as Ciardi, trying to approximate terza rima. However, blank verse is OK. There should be evident use of poetic forms, though, not just choppy lines.
3) You should include references to contemporary figures as well as mythological / Biblical allusions. Try to make them appropriate to your level.
4) Explanatory footnotes are expected. These, of course, need not be to outside sources; they are explanations of your own references and devices.
5) At least one Homeric simile is in order.
1) The paper should be at least 4 pages long. I AM NOT IMPRESSED WITH 8 PADDED PAGES, THOUGH!! Compact, concise, and substantial are preferred to bloated, windy, and fluffy.
2) It should be an analysis of a topic or theme that runs across several cantos or across the whole poem. It should not be a focus (unless it is very in-depth) on one canto.
3) It should make use of at least two outside references of established academic reputation. Cliffs Notes and Sparknotes are NOT acceptable.
4) Substantive quotes and references are required. It is not enough to talk ABOUT the poem; you must SHOW that you have convincing evidence.
5) References to your outside sources are required WITHIN THE PAPER. It is not enough that you include a bibliography without citing it in your text.
6) Proper MLA format, bibliography, and parenthetical notes are mandatory. If you don't know what the proper form is, ASK ME OR GO ONLINE!! Part of doing a good paper is always doing the legwork required to make sure it's done right!