The Divine Comedy

Alighieri, Dante (1265–1321), translated by Kline, A. S. (contact-email)

Born in 1265 in Florence, from which he was banished in 1302, dying in Ravenna in 1321, Dante Alighieri set the Divine Comedy in the year 1300, when he was thirty-five years old and 'in the middle of our mortal life'. The setting allows him to utilise the past symbolically, exploit the present politically, and anticipate the future in simulated prophecy.

The Commedia throughout reflects his love for 'Beatrice' whom he first saw at a young age in a church in Florence, and who came to represent for him Intellectual and Spiritual Beauty. The story of his love for her, of her early death, and his inspiration to write the Commedia are told in his prose work La vita nuova, The New Life, of 1294.

The Divine Comedy is Dante’s record of his visionary journey through the triple realms of Hell, Purgatory and Paradise. This, the first 'epic' of which its author is the protagonist and his individual imaginings the content, weaves together the threads of Classical and Christian history; contemporary Medieval politics and religion; and Dante’s own inner life. The Commedia is essential reading not merely for Christians, poets, and historians, but for anyone struggling with issues of morality, the ethical framework of society, and the challenge of living the true life.

Author Details

Dante Alighieri (c. 1265 – 14 September 1321) was an Italian poet, writer, and philosopher. His most renowned work, the Divine Comedy, originally called “Commedìa” and later christened ‘Divina’ by Giovanni Boccaccio, is considered the paramount poem of the Middle Ages and the supreme literary achievement in the Italian language.

Dante revolutionized literature by employing the vernacular language, specifically the Florentine dialect, rather than Latin. This innovation paved the way for the development of the modern standardized Italian language, and profoundly impacted the course of literary evolution in Western Europe by extending accessibility to a broader audience, which proved a pivotal moment in the history of European literature.

Dante’s vivid depictions of Hell, Purgatory, and Heaven continue to inspire countless works of art and literature. Dante's influence reached beyond Italy, influencing major English writers such as Geoffrey Chaucer, John Milton, and Alfred Lord Tennyson. He is often referred to as "il Sommo Poeta" (the Supreme Poet) in Italy, alongside Petrarch and Boccaccio, who are collectively known as the "tre corone" (three crowns) of Italian literature.

His life was marked by political involvement in the Guelph–Ghibelline conflict in Florence. He served militarily and held various offices, including membership in the Physicians' and Apothecaries' Guild. His political career was ended, however, when he was exiled from Florence in 1302 due to shifting political alliances. Following his exile, Dante continued composing the Divine Comedy. He spent his later years in Verona and Lucca, before finally settling in Ravenna where he died in 1321.

More by this author

Read Now Buy Book Download

Kline, A. S.

Support Open-Access:

Your contribution keeps our classical translations available to all. Every dollar helps support classics education and funds the expansion of our catalogue. Value what we do? Donate now.

File Downloads:

PDF

Mobi

Epub

MS Word

Html