| Description: | This course deals with the three most important figures of Italian literature of the 14th century: Dante, Petrarca and Boccaccio. All authors will be placed in their historical context and appropriate political, artistic, philosophical and theological discussions will be integrated into the reading of their works. For example, discussion of Dante's political thought will be developed through a reading of the relevant Cantos of his masterpiece the Divine Comedy as well has some readings from the Monarchia. Together with Dante's Divine Comedy, the literary works which will receive the most attention will be Petrarca's Canzoniere and Boccaccio's Decamerone. The focus will be on how the three poets contributed to the new Italian vernacular, rather than Latin, as a literary form. Previously the Italian language was only regarded as a means of communication and thus considered a minor language until the literary revolution of the Trecento (14th century). |