While in some ways Dante’s worldview can seem quite an alien one, many of the issues he presents us with – and through such rich and memorable characters – are timeless: questions of love and desire, loyalty and betrayal, political strife, ambition, justice, loss, displacement… He often approaches moral questions in very provocative and thought-provoking ways. So I hope that studying his work helps students not only to understand Dante’s own medieval world but also helps them to reflect upon the complexities and ambiguities of the world that surrounds them. And I have already mentioned the many ways in which Dante continues to speak to readers, writers, and artists in the modern world. Our artists’ book exhibition in Bristol is testament to the ways in which Dante continues to inspire new forms of creativity.
Tough one… But I think Purgatorio 30, where Dante the pilgrim is reunited with Beatrice, is hard to beat… It is a canto full of drama and full of surprises. And the richness of its dialogue with other sources – Virgil, the Bible, Dante’s previous writings – is extraordinary.
How is studying Dante relevant today?
What attracted you to start studying Dante as an academic?
I loved studying Dante with my tutor Claire Honess as an undergraduate
While Dr. Kay's words should be more than enough to convert you to Dantism, perhaps my brief thoughts as an ex-Tuscan resident, current Bristol student, and fully converted Dantist who has taken part in several of the aforementioned opportunities, can sway you.
The intricacy and beauty of Dante’s writing is unrivalled in Italian literature and his cultural importance cannot be understated. Just as
Virgil guides Dante on his journey, Dr. Kay will accompany you through the various texts, helping you to unlock
Dante’s language and thus understand and
appreciate a plethora of hidden meanings and
intriguing ideas.
Choose 'la diritta via', choose Dante.
James Bicknell Found
What is your personal favourite canto and why?
student at the University of Leeds and so I decided to stay on there to do an
MA project on Dante with her. I was initially drawn to Dante’s constant and
a very inspiring supervisor (he was one of our guest speakers in Bristol in October), before moving to the US for a couple of years and then to
Bristol. At each stage, I knew there was more that I wanted to explore and understand. Dante is addictive, clearly…
very strategic dialogue with other writers from throughout history. I then moved to Oxford for my PhD to work with Manuele Gragnolati, who was
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