Talk:Divine Comedy

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The inspiration for The Divine Comedy

I think the article should mention that a possible source of inspiration for Dante was Risalatu'l Ghufran by 10th century arab poet al-Ma'arri. I heard that some scholars have expressed this opinion, but I have no official references. However I have read both works, and while not being a trained scholar my self, I do find the similarities striking.

Translations

I don't know if anyone else thinks this is a good idea (I know they think the article is long enough already), but would it be acceptable to have a section or sub-section on translations somewhere? --15lsoucy (talk) 21:35, 13 June 2009 (UTC)

Have a look at this section already existing. Wareh (talk) 01:14, 14 June 2009 (UTC)

Perhaps the 'translations' section could be expanded, with more detail on translations (eg. a more methodical listing of whether translations are in verse or prose) and perhaps a little critical assessment. As a seperate point, I wondered what the significance of 'the first American translation' was? Surely it would be of more interest to have details of the first translation into English? The earliest English translation listed here is by Cary, from the early 19th century: surely there were translatoins before this one? I would like to do these things myself, but unfortunately know little on Dante. Drobba (talk) 13:34, 5 November 2009 (UTC)

Sounds like a great idea! As to the Longfellow translation, it probably was significant in terms of making Dante known in the US, and (like the classic Cary translation) it's still widely used. -- Radagast3 (talk) 20:50, 5 November 2009 (UTC)

Location of hell

The article states: "in Dante's time, it was believed that Hell existed underneath Jerusalem.[citation needed]"

This is not quite correct. Purgatory was on the opposite side of the Earth - which they knew was a sphere - from Jerusalem. (1) "Dante locates Hell in the center of the Earth." (2) Now center of the Earth is underneath Jerusalem, but then it is underneath any location you wish!

(1) Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy: Purgatory. Vol 4. Verse Translation and Commentary by Mark Musa. Copyright 2000. See page 17 & 18.

http://books.google.com/books?id=DxOanGTM-bQC&pg=PA17&lpg=PA17&dq=purgatory+jerusalem&source=bl&ots=3sN2EhqUkE&sig=RGl4784sQau3b8NAcrG5OmxsvFY&hl=en&ei=aqvOSo2qGsOSlAf41bSpCg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CAsQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=purgatory%20jerusalem&f=false

Sorry for the long URL.

(2) A Milton handbook,‎ by James Holly Hanford, 1961 edition, page 222.

Maybe the best thing to do is to delete the cause in question. 65.171.235.153 (talk) 03:52, 9 October 2009 (UTC) MCS

If you look at the Ritter image, you will see that Hell is portrayed as a hollow cone, under Jerusalem, with it's tip at the centre of the Earth. - Radagast3 (talk) 07:37, 9 October 2009 (UTC)

However, I have reworded to clarify, and to remove the unsupported claim that this location of Hell was generally accepted at the time. - Radagast3 (talk) 07:54, 9 October 2009 (UTC)

Game Reference?

I have lately been seeing a lot of talk on the game Dante's Inferno (multi-platform)and I think this should be posted on the Divine Comedy page because this game is said to be based on Dante's Story from the Divine Comedy, the developers have said this. Its most probably the gaming version of the divine comedy, even though I must play it yet. I still think this should be posted on the actual page as it took reference from the Divine Comedy.

note: old wiki user from the Guild Wars wiki :)

--200.88.0.109 (talk) 03:00, 8 February 2010 (UTC)

The game to which you refer has a Wikipedia article, and this article is linked (albeit a bit buried) in the appropriate section of Dante and his Divine Comedy in popular culture. This specialized article, in turn, is the full treatment of what we only have a little bit of room for in the main Divine Comedy article: just enough space to mention that the Commedia has inspired countless computer games, and to point to the fuller listing (and discussion: I should point out that the "pop culture" article need not remain a pedestrian list--if you want to write a balanced and referenced survey of computer game treatments of Dante, the relative importance of this release, etc., you would be providing something missing in that section). Wareh (talk) 03:12, 8 February 2010 (UTC)

Its also on Dante's Inferno (disambiguation) which is linked at the top of the page. (John User:Jwy talk) 05:23, 8 February 2010 (UTC)

The reference and work cited do not say the Divine Comedy is the best

At the beginning of the article it states: "It is widely considered the central poem of Italian literature, and is seen as one of the greatest works of world literature.[1]"

This is obviously an opinion and the worlds best works are always a sticking point in any Academic Institution. The citation only points to literary professors wiki page that says nothing about the Divine Comedy. I will suggest removing the sentence, if no one objects. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 147.126.95.168 (talk) 19:11, 9 February 2010 (UTC)

I have reverted the change. The article does not say "the best": it says "one of the greatest works", which just means that it is among a (large, if you wish) canon of important and influential literary works. I have not time just know, but even the most cursory search confirms this: see for instance the beginning of the article on Britannica. [[::User:Goochelaar|Goochelaar]] ([[::User talk:Goochelaar|talk]]) 21:12, 9 February 2010 (UTC)

I agree with Goochelaar; the statement is WP:CK easily found in many sources (and not in need of further references). The issue has also been addressed before, e.g. Talk:Divine_Comedy/Archives/2007#verifiability. Wareh (talk) 21:54, 9 February 2010 (UTC)

Ditto. Another reference would be nice, but the existing one, which is to a book (The Western Canon) is adequate. -- Radagast3 (talk) 22:21, 9 February 2010 (UTC)

Suggestion from 216.82.220.219

I've moved this from the article and will leave a note for the editor 216.82.220.219.

Might I suggest this? "Dante's Inferno" At the gate of Hell having read the inscription 'Abandon all hope, ye who enter here', Dante and Virgil must be ferried across the river Acheron, the first of four rivers in Hell. Gathered on the near bank are the souls of the dead who did nothing remarkable and as such are condemned to be forgotten. Beyond this area is Limbo (circle one) where the virtuous pagans punishment is disappointment and regret that they had not chosen Christ before they died. Could be compared to Elysian Fields in classical mythology but the inhabitants are frustrated with deep hopelessness. Dante meets Virgil, Plato, some Muslims, and others here. The next four circles punish sins of weakness and are sometimes considered lesser circles. The lustful (circle two) are eternally being swirled in wind guarded by Minos, mythological king of Crete, who has the task of assigning new arrivals in Hell to their allotted place. Dante placed Francesa, Paolo, and Cleopatra here. The gluttons (circle three) are punished by eternally eating slime and muck, guarded by the three-headed dog, Cerberus. The greedy (circle four) are condemned to push boulders around for eternity, guarded by the personification of wealth, Plutus. The fifth circle is the river Styx marsh land (circle five) where the angry or wrathful are submerged, thrashing about in the Styx marsh, being torn apart in the dark filthy water. The lower four circles appear to be inside the bustling metropolis Dis, a walled city but once inside an eerie and deserted graveyard is revealed, where heretics (circle six) are buried in tombs and then set on fire. Violent criminals (circle seven) are segregated into three regions that is guarded by the Minotaur and patrolled by Centaurs. First region, tyranny and violence to others is punished in the river of fire and boiling blood Phlegethon. Second region, violence against oneself is punished on the inner bank of Phlegethon, where people who commit suicide have lost human form and are now trees and compulsive gamblers are chased through the woods by harpies. Third region violence against God or nature (blasphemers, bankers, and homosexuals) are punished in a desert of unbearable heat with meteor showers from the sky. Dante places one of his teachers here, Brunetto Latini for his homosexuality (does this tell us something about Dante? :0. Dante and Virgil cross this desert by walking along the dykes that guide the river Phlegethon towards the center of Hell, where the river flows down a sheer drop and are assisted by Ferryman Geryon, depicted as a beast with a handsome face and scaled body who carries them down into the circle of minor fraud (circle eight). Ten concentric ditches, each of which is home to those guilty of minor fraud, distinctly different from treachery. These ten concentric ditches punish: seduction (forced marching and whipping); flattery (buried in excrement); simony (stuck in fiery wells); sorcery and soothsaying (heads turned backwards); political corruption (submersed in boiling tar); hypocrisy (crushed under lead cloaks); theft (turned into lizards); immoral malicious counsel (fire); sundering (mutilated by demons); deceit and forgery (disease). Most likely when people mention Dante's' Inferno they are referring to these cruel and grotesque punishments of the eighth circle. Dante places Ulysses here for his treacherous Trojan Horse. Also Mohammed, founder of Islam, is punished here for leading many people away from Christianity. Then onto treachery (circle nine), considered the worst form of fraud is eternal home of betrayers and traitors to family and/or country. Circle nine is home of Nimrod and the titans. The forth river of Hell appears to be more of a frozen lake called Cocytus. The traitors are frozen in Cocytus depending on the severity of their treachery, some are completely encased in ice while others have their heads free. In the deepest depths of this circle Dante comes upon Brutus, Cassius, and Judas Iscariot all being eternally chewed by Lucifer. Satan is depicted as a huge but pathetic, constantly crying, three-headed winged demon, unable to move except to beat his wings ineffectually. This is the home of Satan, no wonder he wants the fires of Hell to warm up, it's cold, in circle nine (this not strictly from Dante :) From me as I read, there should not be any copyright issues, but I do not understand the links, need some help there, please.\, and if possible some bolding.

Just wondering..

Is Hell's description within this work cannon to Christianity? Actually, let me rephrase that to avoid a discussion, is Hells description within this work the same as appearance within the Bible?