The aim of this course is to continue the reading of Dante's Commedia with the second cantica in which, having emerged from Hell onto the shore on the other side of the world, Dante and Virgil climb the great mountain of Purgatory up to the earthly Paradise at the top, where Beatrice appears and from where Dante will ascend to the Heavenly Paradise. In some ways, the Purgatorio raises deeper intellectual questions than does the Inferno, and so you will have the opportunity to explore and consider more closely Dante's philosophical, theological and political thought as they are presented in his poem. Moreover, the basic imagery of the Purgatorio- the climbing of the mountain in daylight- has encouraged a tendency to interpret it solely as a moral representation of Christian life in this world, and so you will need to learn about and evaluate the nature of allegory in Dante and to have some knowledge of the different approaches to the interpretation of the poem as a whole.

You should approach the Purgatorio, like the Inferno (IT121), first of all as narrative, familiarising yourself with its 'plot', its major divisions, its moral structure, its principal episodes, and Dante's poetic technique in his use of multiple allegorical reference (see below) and natural symbolism, and the distinctive features of his rhetoric, language and style. Again you should start be reading the text right through, with the help of basic notes and a good dictionary, leaving aside any particularly difficult passages for study at a later stage. By now you should be able- perhaps slowly at first but with increasing ability- to read Dante in the original Italian. Try not to rely on any help from English translations; if you annotate your Italian text with the meaning of any new words or with necessary explanations of difficult phrases and sentences you will find that at your second reading you will have the rewarding experience of being able to read Dante directly and so acquire that immediate contact with his poem that no translation can provide. As you read you should also think back to the Inferno and consider both the continuity in Dante's thought in his presentation of the afterlife (shared themes, issues, doctrines, interests) and, as it were, the 'discontinuity', those features which give a distinctive quality to the Purgatorio in contrast to the first cantica. While the Inferno affords on the whole a more accessible, dramatic and imaginative treatment of sin and horrific eternal punishments, the dynamics of the Purgatorio are more subtle and intellectually challenging, and its tone is frequently more lyrical, morally complex and ultimately optimistic. The Purgatorio also mixes its universalising message of reform with elements which were deeply personal to Dante: his friendships, his interest in art (and, above all, poetry), his doctrine of the Roman Empire and its independence from the Papacy, his philosophy of the human soul and the freedom of will, and of course Beatrice.

The Purgatorio is divided into 33 cantos, and you should have detailed knowledge of ten of these cantos:

You should study these cantos in depth and bearing in mind that one question in the examination will ask you to identify and comment upon a passage chosen from one of them (a choice will be given). After your first reading, you should proceed through the cantica again, more systematically, studying each episode (and particularly the ten selected cantos) in its historical, cultural and narrative context, and also acquiring understanding of the problems, issues and themes which Dante treats.

In terms of assessment, there is coursework during the course and a two-hour written examination at the end of the course.

To support your studies, an Information Services team co-ordinated by Nicholas Lewis, Liaison Librarian for Languages and Classics, has collaborated with the department to create supporting web pages for this course. These include web links to appropriate electronic resources. The idea is to bring together the full range of sources for this course with a view to making these more accessible. It is hoped that this will spur you on to further study. To further enhance this process, we have set up an on-line e-mail discussion page which will provide you with an opportunity to exchange comments and enter into debate about the course on a regular basis as it progresses.