Full class attendance and participation. Students are permitted two unexcused absences. Further unexcused absences will result in a deduction from the final grade.
Graded assignments: 1) paper #1 due in Week Six (30%); 2) paper #2 due in Week Thirteen (30%); 3) in class final exam (30%); 4) Class participation (10%)
One single spaced reflection on what the experience of reading the Commedia has meant to and for you.
Paper #1 (due in Week 6)
Beatrice's actual appearance in the Commedia comes as a shock. Instead of offering a warm welcome, she upbraids him in a tirade that spills over from canto 30 well into canto 31. Analyse this lecture as fully as you can, both against what we have read so far of the poem, and the amatory lyric traditions we have looked at (ie. Vita nuova and contemporary vernacular lyric poetry) 8-10 pages plus a 250-300 word abstract of the analysis, formatted as a .doc file. Due before the first class in Week 6. Students will discuss their abstracts in class.
Paper #2 (due in Week 13)
Take one of the spheres that we have visited in Paradiso and engage with it in any way that engages you. You could focus on a character or characters, a theological issue, allusions to classical, medieval or biblical literature, metaphors or similes, the poet/pilgrim binary. 8-10 pages plus a 250-300 word abstract of the analysis, formatted as a .doc file. Due before the first class in Week 13. Students will discuss their abstracts in class.
Final Exam
I will give you nine passages from the entire Commedia ahead of time, three from each canticle. At the closed book in class exam, I will pick three of the nine, one from each canticle, and ask you to comment on them as fully as you are able.