English 203 Discussion

Answer the question below. Actually, this is more of a task than a question.

Beware! Tricky!
Lots of students don't LIKE what Dante does with various sinners, but that does not make the placement or treatment illogical either philosophically or morally. It might just mean that student's don't agree with Dante.

But, as always, like it or not, the task is not to cheerlead our own beliefs; it's to understand the thinking of the Christian Church in the Middle Ages; that shaped a LOT of thinking that resonates even now.

Special instruction for this discussion:

if your last name begins with the letters A-F, you are to choose from Cantos 4-10;

if your last name begins with the letters G-M, you are to choose from Cantos 11-18;

if your last name begins with the letters N-R, you are to choose from Cantos 19-26;

if your last name begins with the letters S-Z, you are to choose from Cantos 27-33.

Select any one canto (more if you like) from Inferno except cantos 1-3 (which I've analyzed in the lecture material) and discuss what is going on in that canto. Here are some things to mention in your analysis:
- What, in a couple of sentences, is the plot of the canto?
- What is the nature of the crime and the punishment?
- Explain the logic (and perhaps justice) of the punishment for that particular crime.
- What characters (literary, historical, biblical) are included in the canto, and why are they representative of the sin described?
- How does Dante react? After all, it is the story of his spiritual quest.
- Are there any philisophical or religious problems (not just things you dislike) with what happens in the canto? Modern thinkers have some very different attitudes than people in the western world 700 years ago; even the Roman Catholic Church has some very different ideas than it had in pre-Vatican II days.

Another note:

for this discussion you are not required to respond to other postings; you are certainly welcome to is you wish, but your entire score this week will be based on your posting alone.

Discussion Question 7: Dante