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Dante’s
Paradiso
Introduction
I.
Outline of sessions: Thursdays from May 19th to June 16th
A. Sessions
1. October 13th:
Introduction, Cantos 1-6
2. October 20th: Cantos
7-14
3. October 27th: Cantos
15-26
4. November 3rd: Cantos
27-33
B. Reading schedule
August: Purgatorio, Cantos 30-33;
Paradiso 1-5
September: Paradiso, Cantos 6-14
October: Paradiso, Cantos 15-24
November: Paradiso, Cantos 25-33
II.
Introduction to Ptolemy’s universe.
A.
The Planets, the Sun, the Moon
B.
The stars
C.
The empyrean heaven
III.
Introduction to the Paradiso
A. Map of Paradiso (see handouts)
1. Under the shadow of earth (theological
virtues)
a. First Sphere - Faith
b. Second Sphere - Hope
c. Third Sphere - Love
2. Beyond the shadow of earth
(cardinal virtues)
a. Fourth Sphere - Prudence
b. Fifth Sphere - Fortitude
c. Sixth Sphere – Justice
d. Seventh Sphere – Temperance
3. The fixed stars and beyond (theological
virtues, perfected)
a. Eighth Sphere – Faith,
Hope, Love
b. Ninth Sphere – “First
Moved”, the angels
4. The Empyrean Heaven
a. The Mystic Rose
b. Blessed Virgin Mary
c. God Himself – The Trinity,
The Incarnation
B. Differences between Paradise and the
other reals
1. The most “medieval” part? No!
2. Less politics, less about the
world
3. Many saints
4. Much more philosophy and
theology
5. Hell is only darkness, purgatory
is light/darkness, heaven is only light
6. Hell was 2 days, purgatory 3 ½
days, heaven 24 hours
7. Saints are all in mystical
rose, but appear in various spheres (cf. Canto 4, lines 27-39)
