All of these videos are just outstanding- it's like a "coffee talk" warm and wonderful conversation rather than a traditional lecture. Participating in 100 days of Dante and after reading the Canto this is my "next action" ;) thank you so very much
That’s so great to hear, thank you. I love the coffee talk comparison. And yes I think the best way for these brief videos to be useful is to watch them after you’ve just read the canto - best at accelerated speed because I don’t speak fast in English : )
The incessant rain, hail and snow really hit me in this circle of hell, perhaps being British. The flaying and quartering seemed hardly necessary in addition. Thank you for pointing out the imagery to do with food or eating. I had missed that other than the greasy beard. I think it is partly my translation to blame. On the other hand I liked the choice of "voided nothings only seeming men" in line 36. There was a painful sadness in the way Ciacco hopes that Dante will recognise and remember him, and Dante tries to be kind in how he says no he doesn't. And then Ciacco's final words are to ask Dante to remind people back in Florence about him.
Funny you should say that about the way Dante addresses Ciacco, because I’ve read several critics say that Dante might be simply using this verbal kindness as a strategy to get the answers he wants. But the point is, who knows? I’ve noticed how many “Divine Comedy specialists” went far beyond what is possible to understand, to the point of almost ridiculous over-thinking. It would be great to have a youtube interview with the great man, but unfortunately we don’t!
Working my way through all of these videos as I read the Divine Comedy for the first time ever. I went into it with no background other than knowing there were circles in hell he travels through. Thank you so much for this series, it has been so helpful to guide my comprehension and get SO much more out of it that I wouldn't have the background for if I read alone. I also am liking that you have different versions than my translation (Robin Kirkpatrick) because it is so interesting hearing the slight variations that can really impact the effect!
Hello Tom! My name is Hector and I’m a student currently reading Dante’s Inferno for my Language Arts class. Your videos have been instrumental in me understanding this story and I sincerely thank you! Keep up the great work!
What a great video !! Thank you for this I am really enjoying my reading and listening to you. I bought the book of Dante's life that you suggested, am only a few pages into it. I am so far behind I feel badly about that but honestly if I go slowly I understand and retain more. Hope you had a wonderful quiet and safe holiday my friend.
Thank you Lee and please don’t worry about having to catch up. I am making these videos to be available pretty much forever : ) I am a slower reader myself and especially when it comes to poetry it makes sense to enjoy every step of the journey. All good here in L.A., I hope you too.
@@tomlabooks3263 I found one channel and a vlog that I wanted to share with you. The channel is Jennifer Brooks and the episode is Art: Pieces that Defined the Early Renaissance. I have taken notes and will go back and read about the art and the times, but I thought you might enjoy it also.
I always found this Canto interesting for the political allusion, and why, in the third layer of hell where the focus of the sins are sins that are committed by an individual that affect the individual, would issues involving the political landscape of the time be a major focus? Or maybe I am just simplifying it too much. In any case, another great discussion, thanks!
A la contraire (like David F. Wallace would say in Infinite Jest with a mistake made on purpose), I think your point is a very intriguing and complex one. I’m sorry I don’t think I’m able to answer - maybe aside from the intuition that politicians in Italy have always been seen as “magna magna”, or the people who keep eating and eating - but I will look this up in my commentaries in Italian and let you know if I find anything relevant. Thanks for watching and have a great week my friend.
@@tomlabooks3263 That is a really good point! In that sense, Dante did something very clever. Apart from the direct reference to the political landscape, he has the indirect reference that aims at the personal corruption within.
@@attention5638 One of the things I love about this book is that you can read it even 25 times and still find references and meanings that you had missed before.
Oh man, gluttony is pretty bad sin that I have been exercising for two weeks now! So much great Christmas food. Do you end up in the third even if you overindulge while celebrating the birth of Christ? I read that the poet Ciacco dell’Anguillaia could be the guy that Dante features here. Some sources also refer to him as a courtier.
Hahaha I hope not, because most of us would meet there! We’ll find gluttony again in Purgatory and that’s where Dante helps us understand the difference... I understand that only an unrepentant attitude of gluttony , that basically becomes your “addiction”, grants you hell. This literally being my relationship with Nutella, I’m not in a great position to talk about it... Interesting about the poet Ciacco. I’ll look into that. Thanks for your comments!
I think I'm out of synch with everyone as I felt physically disgusted by the foul imagery here . When they tread on some poor ghostly wretch ....Urgh...I could really smell this horror ......I love that Blake image of Cerberus you shared , right back to my childhood ....I've just heard that the Uffizi in Florence is exhibiting some rarely seen illustrations of The Divine Comedies this year ...that's something to dream about getting to ...fingers crossed ....and that reveal about Dante's friends ending in Hell is sobering ......I also like how Dante is addressing theological points and that he's suggesting that thinkers outside the church will have answers ....it's like he is trying to assimilate these world views into the Christian paradigm ...
Yes - I found out myself only yesterday about the Uffizi exhibition. Those illustrations are beautiful and available to see online at the Uffizi website. I won’t share the link with you here because TH-cam doesn’t allow that, but it’s easy to find. As for your point about Dante’s open mind towards non-christian thinkers, I totally agree... I think in the Comedy’s fiction every soul, no matter where they come from, gets to understand “the truth” as soon as they arrive, so this is why Virgil can explain such fine theological points despite coming from pagan times. Thanks for watching, Hester!
I must admit I was slightly disappointed with Canto 6. The language (in Musa) is beautiful, but I thought so much more could have been done with the sin of gluttony. Dare I say: I wanted MORE, glutton that I am. But seriously, the rain imagery didn’t work for me as a punishment for gluttony. I hope you had a satisfying (but not overly satisfying) Christmas.
Yes - being deeply corrupted by the sin of gluttony myself, I completely understand : ) I think the first really theatrical and visually stunning punishment is the one reserved for the greedy in Canto 7. My Christmas was really quiet with less opportunity for gluttony than usual. I hope you had a good one, too. And thanks for your support! If things go well, around Christmas next year we should be climbing up Purgatory, getting close to the garden of Eden.
All of these videos are just outstanding- it's like a "coffee talk" warm and wonderful conversation rather than a traditional lecture. Participating in 100 days of Dante and after reading the Canto this is my "next action" ;) thank you so very much
That’s so great to hear, thank you. I love the coffee talk comparison. And yes I think the best way for these brief videos to be useful is to watch them after you’ve just read the canto - best at accelerated speed because I don’t speak fast in English : )
Christmas morning Inferno is unorthodox but a happy surprise. Happy Christmas.
Haha : ) Happy Christmas to you and your family!
this is the best annotation i have ever seen on youtube about interno! thank you very much
It’s my pleasure, Jeff. Very glad you’re finding these videos useful.
Thank you so very much.
My pleasure! In my playlists (if you’re interested) I am covering the Comedy in Italian as well (with English subtitles).
The incessant rain, hail and snow really hit me in this circle of hell, perhaps being British. The flaying and quartering seemed hardly necessary in addition. Thank you for pointing out the imagery to do with food or eating. I had missed that other than the greasy beard. I think it is partly my translation to blame. On the other hand I liked the choice of "voided nothings only seeming men" in line 36.
There was a painful sadness in the way Ciacco hopes that Dante will recognise and remember him, and Dante tries to be kind in how he says no he doesn't. And then Ciacco's final words are to ask Dante to remind people back in Florence about him.
Funny you should say that about the way Dante addresses Ciacco, because I’ve read several critics say that Dante might be simply using this verbal kindness as a strategy to get the answers he wants. But the point is, who knows? I’ve noticed how many “Divine Comedy specialists” went far beyond what is possible to understand, to the point of almost ridiculous over-thinking. It would be great to have a youtube interview with the great man, but unfortunately we don’t!
@@tomlabooks3263 academics can disappear down a rabbit hole with their interpretation can't they?
Excellent discussion
Thanks Mark!
Excellent. I enjoyed this clear explanation. Looking forward to more analysis of the cantos
Thank you for watching - really glad you found it useful.
Working my way through all of these videos as I read the Divine Comedy for the first time ever. I went into it with no background other than knowing there were circles in hell he travels through.
Thank you so much for this series, it has been so helpful to guide my comprehension and get SO much more out of it that I wouldn't have the background for if I read alone.
I also am liking that you have different versions than my translation (Robin Kirkpatrick) because it is so interesting hearing the slight variations that can really impact the effect!
That’s fantastic. I love Kirkpatrick’s translation and I often refer to it during this series.
Another great video. Thanks for providing a lot of background info that I would have missed by just reading the canto.
Thanks John, I hope you had a good Christmas!
100% agree these video are the highlight of my study of Dante ;)
Hello Tom! My name is Hector and I’m a student currently reading Dante’s Inferno for my Language Arts class. Your videos have been instrumental in me understanding this story and I sincerely thank you! Keep up the great work!
Hi Hector - That’s wonderful. I am jealous that you are studying this incredible work. Inferno is great, but Purgatory and Paradiso are even better!
What a great video !! Thank you for this I am really enjoying my reading and listening to you. I bought the book of Dante's life that you suggested, am only a few pages into it. I am so far behind I feel badly about that but honestly if I go slowly I understand and retain more. Hope you had a wonderful quiet and safe holiday my friend.
Thank you Lee and please don’t worry about having to catch up. I am making these videos to be available pretty much forever : ) I am a slower reader myself and especially when it comes to poetry it makes sense to enjoy every step of the journey. All good here in L.A., I hope you too.
@@tomlabooks3263 I found one channel and a vlog that I wanted to share with you. The channel is Jennifer Brooks and the episode is Art: Pieces that Defined the Early Renaissance. I have taken notes and will go back and read about the art and the times, but I thought you might enjoy it also.
@@Leebearify I will certainly do, I am a subscriber of Jennifer’s channel and very much enjoy her videos. Thanks for the suggestion!
not only a well-timed post ...a timeless one, such is gluttony.
I always found this Canto interesting for the political allusion, and why, in the third layer of hell where the focus of the sins are sins that are committed by an individual that affect the individual, would issues involving the political landscape of the time be a major focus? Or maybe I am just simplifying it too much. In any case, another great discussion, thanks!
A la contraire (like David F. Wallace would say in Infinite Jest with a mistake made on purpose), I think your point is a very intriguing and complex one. I’m sorry I don’t think I’m able to answer - maybe aside from the intuition that politicians in Italy have always been seen as “magna magna”, or the people who keep eating and eating - but I will look this up in my commentaries in Italian and let you know if I find anything relevant. Thanks for watching and have a great week my friend.
@@tomlabooks3263 That is a really good point! In that sense, Dante did something very clever. Apart from the direct reference to the political landscape, he has the indirect reference that aims at the personal corruption within.
@@attention5638 One of the things I love about this book is that you can read it even 25 times and still find references and meanings that you had missed before.
Oh man, gluttony is pretty bad sin that I have been exercising for two weeks now! So much great Christmas food. Do you end up in the third even if you overindulge while celebrating the birth of Christ?
I read that the poet Ciacco dell’Anguillaia could be the guy that Dante features here. Some sources also refer to him as a courtier.
Hahaha I hope not, because most of us would meet there! We’ll find gluttony again in Purgatory and that’s where Dante helps us understand the difference... I understand that only an unrepentant attitude of gluttony , that basically becomes your “addiction”, grants you hell. This literally being my relationship with Nutella, I’m not in a great position to talk about it...
Interesting about the poet Ciacco. I’ll look into that. Thanks for your comments!
Nutella, you unfaithful beast, I thought that you and I had a special relationship! 😄
The Way of the Cross. Is our Way
I think I'm out of synch with everyone as I felt physically disgusted by the foul imagery here . When they tread on some poor ghostly wretch ....Urgh...I could really smell this horror ......I love that Blake image of Cerberus you shared , right back to my childhood ....I've just heard that the Uffizi in Florence is exhibiting some rarely seen illustrations of The Divine Comedies this year ...that's something to dream about getting to ...fingers crossed ....and that reveal about Dante's friends ending in Hell is sobering ......I also like how Dante is addressing theological points and that he's suggesting that thinkers outside the church will have answers ....it's like he is trying to assimilate these world views into the Christian paradigm ...
Yes - I found out myself only yesterday about the Uffizi exhibition. Those illustrations are beautiful and available to see online at the Uffizi website. I won’t share the link with you here because TH-cam doesn’t allow that, but it’s easy to find. As for your point about Dante’s open mind towards non-christian thinkers, I totally agree... I think in the Comedy’s fiction every soul, no matter where they come from, gets to understand “the truth” as soon as they arrive, so this is why Virgil can explain such fine theological points despite coming from pagan times. Thanks for watching, Hester!
I must admit I was slightly disappointed with Canto 6. The language (in Musa) is beautiful, but I thought so much more could have been done with the sin of gluttony. Dare I say: I wanted MORE, glutton that I am. But seriously, the rain imagery didn’t work for me as a punishment for gluttony. I hope you had a satisfying (but not overly satisfying) Christmas.
Yes - being deeply corrupted by the sin of gluttony myself, I completely understand : ) I think the first really theatrical and visually stunning punishment is the one reserved for the greedy in Canto 7. My Christmas was really quiet with less opportunity for gluttony than usual. I hope you had a good one, too. And thanks for your support! If things go well, around Christmas next year we should be climbing up Purgatory, getting close to the garden of Eden.
I am definitely feeling like a glutton this week. The rain and hail were horribly convincing to me but yes there is scope for more with gluttony.