Liberal Arts

Italian Literature I: Dante and Boccaccio


Dante and Boccaccio are the fathers of Italian language and literature, the former for what concerns poetry, the latter for prose.

LIT101 Italian Literature - Dante and Boccaccio

Course Description
Dante is considered the father of the Italian language and literary canon. His well-known Divine Comedy is a monumental, fascinating and challenging text that offers insite into human nature, medieval Christian thought and Dante's personal "invention" through the powerful imagery of the Inferno, Purgatorio, & Paradiso. We'll read and discuss selections from each text to better grasp this engaging story and the genius of its creator.
Boccaccio, on the other hand, wrote the masterpiece of early Italian prose, the Decameron: a collection of 100 short tales called “novelle” divided into 10 days. Each day presents a different theme: the ups and downs of Love, Fortune and Misfortune, Wisdom and Folly. The colorful tales offer a window on the everyday life of the Middle Ages, with the values of the emerging merchant class and typical manners of the era, and help to reflect upon human behaviour, differences between ancient and contemporary life, justice, intelligence, and romance.

Prerequisites
No prerequisites.

Course Hours
Class meets twice/week for a total of 45 contact hours. Suggested credits: 3.

Student Learning Expectations
Knowledge of the main thematic and formal aspects of the Comedy by Dante and the Decameron by Boccaccio. Development of literary analysis and interpretation skills.

Assignments
Students will be required to write a weekly summary/analysis of what has been studied in the class.

Excursions
N/A

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