At Long Last, The Violent Appear: Inferno, Canto XII, Lines 103 - 139
INFERNO, Canto XII, comes to its conclusion with a "zoo" of those who have been violent against others, including Alexander the Great (perhaps), Attila the Hun (more sure), and even local brigands fro...
12 Mai 202132min
Astride a Centaur: Inferno, Canto XII, Lines 76 - 102
In INFERNO, the question of our pilgrim's corporeality continues to dog us (and perhaps the poet). Is the pilgrim in his body? Is this "merely" a dream sequence in which he's imagining he's in a body?...
9 Mai 202133min
The Centaurs--A Rider Without A Horse Or A Horse Without A Rider: Inferno, Canto XII, Lines 49 - 75
We've come to the river of blood in the seventh circle of INFERNO, the first ring of the violent--and we don't meet any sinners. Instead, we meet the tormentors: the centaurs who fire cruel arrows at ...
5 Mai 202129min
More On Virgil's Life Outside Of Comedy: Inferno, Canto XII, Lines 31 - 48
In this passage from INFERNO, Virgil offers us (and the pilgrim, Dante) more of a glimpse into his last trek to the bottom of hell. Here, he tells us that things have changed, that hell now lies in ru...
2 Mai 202126min
This Way To The Violent, Down The Slope, Past The Minotaur: Inferno, Canto XII, Lines 1 - 30
Virgil has finished his lesson on the geography of hell, he's answered the pilgrim's two questions, and we're back to the start of Canto XI, only at the start of Canto XII.Here, Dante, our pilgrim, co...
28 Apr 202127min
Too Many Footnotes and Not Enough Time to Reflect
At the end of INFERNO Canto XI, we've already come a long with our pilgrim Dante. We've also encountered lots of moments that need explanation and lots of interpretive knots.But I want to call our att...
25 Apr 202111min
Usury + Violence = A Theory Of Art: INFERNO, Canto XI, Lines 91 - 114
Our pilgrim, Dante, dares to ask Virgil a second question. This one's harder. So much so that even Virgil seems hesitant.Why is usury punished so far down in hell? And why is usury punished among the ...
21 Apr 202123min
Virgil, Your Map Of Hell Needs Work: INFERNO, Canto XI, Lines 67 - 90
Most of INFERNO Canto XI is taken up with Virgil's "mappa inferno." The old poet claims he's laying it out with "clear reasoning."But maybe not, because our pilgrim has a couple of questions.Join me, ...
18 Apr 202129min
