Dante's Inferno - Final Cantos and the Triumph of Comedy over Tragedy

Explore the final cantos of Dante's Inferno in this Yale University lecture, focusing on the role of tragedy within the Comedy. Delve into Dante's discussion of tragedy in De vulgari eloquentia and trace the disintegration of language as the pilgrim descends into the pit of Hell. Examine the distorted speech of Nimrod in Canto XXXI, the theory of perspective in Cantos XXXI and XXXII, and the silence of Satan in Canto XXXIV. Discover how comedy ultimately triumphs over tragedy as the pilgrim ascends to Mount Purgatory. Gain insights into the poetic myth of Purgatory and participate in a question-and-answer session to deepen your understanding of Dante's masterpiece.

- Chapter 1. The Mode of the Tragic
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- Chapter 2. "De vulgari eloquentia"
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- Chapter 3. Canto XXX: Juno, Myrrha, Sinon
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- Chapter 4. Canto XXXI: The Giants; Theory of Perspective
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- Chapter 5. Canto XXXII: More on the Question of Perspective; Tragic Representation
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- Chapter 6. Canto XXXIV: Satan
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- Chapter 7. Canto XXXIII: Inventing the Poetic Myth of Purgatory
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- Chapter 8. Question and Answer
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