Inferno, Canto 2

Some basic ideas

• This Canto could be called “Dante Doubts”.• At the end of Canto 1, Dante agrees to follow

Virgil through the other world.• At the beginning of Canto 2, it is getting darker. It

is the afternoon of Good Friday, Easter weekend.• Dante expresses his doubts telling Virgil that

compared to Aeneas and St. Paul (the Chosen Vessel), he is a nobody and does not deserve to go into the land of the dead.

• Virgil gets upset with him and announces that he will tell him a story that should make Dante’s fears go away.

• Virgil narrates how Beatrice came from Heaven to Limbo (a part of Hell) to ask him to help Dante, who is in the world of the living, on the surface of the Earth, where the dark forest is. (This is the first story within a story).

• When telling Dante this story, Virgil tells him that he, Virgil, asked Beatrice, how she descended from Heaven to Hell, if this was forbidden.

• Beatrice then tells Virgil (this is the second story within a story) what happened in Heaven that made her come down to Limbo, where Virgil was.

• After hearing about the holy women in Heaven who are concerned about him, Dante is filled with courage again.

• He once again resolves to follow Virgil on the journey.

Tips

• As you can see, this Canto is structured with three stories, one within the other.

• 1. The story that Dante is telling us.• 2. The story that Virgil tells Dante.• 3. The story that Beatrice tells Virgil.

Do not get confused:

• Look carefully at the quotation marks, when they open and when they close.

• As yourself “who is saying this to whom?”• Use the document with links for the Divine

Comedy in ENLACES.• Create and trade tests with a friend. For

example, you can get a summary from internet, divide it in sentences, jumble the sentences and make your friend sequence them correctly.

• If you read an online summary, make sure you read another

one. Sometimes the “experts” are in a hurry and misread or

skip an element.

• Good luck!!

• Enjoy the musicality of the poetry in Italian:

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=amusgG1KGJc

• This is another version, in cleary pronounced English:

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3bD1eWi1AL4

• Translated to Spanish:

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYk7MB6tRnI

• PPT on Limbo:• http://

ebookbrowsee.net/dante-s-inferno-limbo-ppt-d275727572

• Online PPT on the Divine Comedy, check Canto II, very concise. In general quite helpful to understand the D. C:

• http://www.authorstream.com/Presentation/Stella-47448-Dante-Alagheris-Divine-Comedy-Background-Inferno-Canto-II-III-Structure-Dantes-Hell-Oute-as-Entertainment-ppt-powerpoint/

• Canto V in UK • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVtU7gsc_UU

• Dante´s Inferno Industry Trailere• http://www.youtube.com/watch?annotation_id=annotation_52858&feature=iv&src_vid=NCBvz4whFPM&v=xZhNUNesLN4

• Films• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oP-wgPyawsQ

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EmBoBNNeNDw

• 1911 Film http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CcBAAbpiZgw

• Structure of the D.C. in 4 minutes. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BmEtkYnTF-o

• Inferno http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EmBoBNNeNDw Summary graphics

• Paradisso:• http://

www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBoQ8-HW1dg