The Commedia is many different things. It is the autobiography of a poet in love with an angelic woman; a visionary treatise on history and world politics; a passionate sermon on how humans should live better lives; a theologically inspired story of a communion of a human soul with God. The Commedia is also a compendium of all existing knowledge, bringing together, discussing and often contributing to virtually all art forms and scientific disciplines of its time.

Besides acquainting ourselves with some of the world-famous episodes and powerful characters from Inferno, Purgatorio and Paradiso, we will read and examine Dante’s masterpiece also from artistic, scientific and interdisciplinary perspectives.

With regard to the Commedia itself: how did Dante incorporate the arts and the sciences of his time into his masterpiece? What are his ideas about literature, music and the visual arts? How did he use scientific knowledge? What does he tell us about land and seas (geography, cartography), about nature and matter (physics), about human behaviour and leadership (law and politics), the workings of the human body (biology), about the heavens and the stars and their role in human lives (astronomy), about the value and meaning of numbers (mathematics)?

With regard to the reception of the Commedia: how were artists, writers, intellectuals, scholars and scientists in the course of seven centuries inspired and influenced by Dante’s poetry? In our sessions we will discuss many relevant examples, including the father of modern science, Galileo Galilei, who in 1588 tried to calculate the dimensions of Dante’s hell. But also in modern times, different branches of science (e.g. astronomy) and new disciplines that emerged (long) after Dante’s time (e.g. psychoanalysis, psychology, criminology) have on many occasions been in fruitful dialogue with his work or have dubiously misused and misinterpreted it (e.g. fascism and other regimes) through a ‘scientific’ or political framework (racial hygiene, nationalism vs. cosmopolitanism).

Coordinator

Ronald de Rooij

Timetable

All lectures will take place on-campus and we assume you can be physically present during the scheduled hours. You can find the timetable on Datanose.

Registration

Registration is possible for students participating in an Honours programme. The registration period for the Honours courses will be from November 29, 10:00 am to December 3, 11.59 pm. You can register through the online registration form that will appear on Honoursmodules IIS. (registration is NOT through SIS)

Please note: Placement is not guaranteed if you register after December 3, so make sure you register on time. You will hear which course(s) you are registered for before December 15. 

For questions about registration, please contact us at: Honours-iis@uva.nl