It was about time I read this book. We have two copies.
The first one is the Oxford Classic which I’m poring over (you have no idea how much I love going deeply into the book with its end notes and references to figures of history and philosophy – which I may add, all happen to be in hell)……there’s no hope for me then.
The second one is Clive James who rewrote the epic lyric poem in his own words using the same cadence as the original Italian.
I read the Oxford one first. Aloud. Then I take my own notes as to what I “think” is being said. Then, I look to the references and end notes to confirm.
I read out the Clive James one (I do wonder how much influence his wife – expert and scholar on The Divine Comedy has helped him). I read that one aloud too but in all honesty, there are some cantos that I just prefer the original. It must have been scary to the people of the Middle Ages to read (or hear aloud it being read) of the rims of hell. The thing is, it seems everyone was down there. Even Jesus made an appearance in Limbo in the 4th Canto in hell although he was quickly called upstairs.
I think that could have been the time the Romans stuck him in his tomb and he was there for a few days before his resurrection 🤔 (if I try to remember my church stories which I’ve long since forgotten).
Afterwards, I scribble some more notes then watch a YouTube series about each of the cantos to cement what I learned about each layer of hell.
I’m loving this process. A couple of cantos every day. Poem-like, read aloud while Pud the cat dozes at my feet.
Dante was quite creative (and must have had a big head himself to put himself with the greats of history) but I must say but having all the Greek philosophers in hell is something else. And poets! (They’re all in hell!)
I could understand all the promiscuous people (Helen of Troy, Cleopatra, Guinevere, you name it, they’re all damned. But the Greek philosophers and poets who brought so much to this world?!)
I’m basically reading that Dante prescribed to the Christian ideal a tad too much. That was the truth to him. Although poets and philosophers were worthy and notable people, the Christian ideal is held the highest.
….which frankly, goes against what even the bible says about those who do good will be welcome into the “kingdom of heaven”.
So suck on that one Dante! 🤣
In the fifth canto, Dante talks to Francesca (who was killed by her husband for having an affair with his younger good looking brother Paolo) when she says to him that they were reading Dante’s words in a book about Guinevere and Lancelot that something overcame them, they looked up into each other’s eyes and had to kiss.
I liked that bit in the book because it was the closest thing to a bit of hot romance and you couldn’t help but pity the young lovers. (Who hasn’t felt that way sometime in their lives especially making eyes with young men between University stacks in their younger student years – but that’s another story). Dante faints then after he hears this but I do wonder how we change through our reading and a love of stories and books. Hope he doesn’t think that even people who read are overcome by something that isn’t Christian-like.
That certainly means I’m damned to hell too.
Righto. Best I continue.
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