Understanding Dante's Divine Comedy

To truly comprehend Dante's Divine Comedy, although complete comprehension is not necessary to enjoy this literary masterpiece, there are several skills one might need to acquire. For instance, one helpful piece of knowledge would be the ability to fluently speak Italian, since the many translations differ being able to have read Dante's actual written words and understand them would make reading the Divine Comedy a bit more personal and therefore easier to understand. To catch and understand the plethora of references and allusions made by Dante it would aid any reader with their findings to be accompanying their reading of the Divine Comedy with a reading of Dante's autobiography Vita Nuova. Vita Nuova or New Life would give the reader a
It is said that, "After the death of Beatrice, Dante entered, belatedly but voraciously, a period of philosophical study. His motives were both the need for consolation and the restless, urban, unecclesiastical curiosity that characterized one who was becoming the most complete intellectual of his time." (Mandelbaum [IN] 321) So it is easily noticeable that there is some kind of connection between Dante and Bice. Yet, is it possible that this affection was a one- sided affair? The answer to that question may never truly be known for the only ideas that exist about the relationship between Dante and Bice (Beatrice) are based on the poetic words of Dante. Although Beatrice does not appear physically in the Divine Comedy until Canto XXX of Purgatorio as she stands atop the mountain of purgatory on the brink of Paradise references and allusions of Beatrice exist throughout the entire Comedy, even as early as Canto II when Virgil reveals that he is a mere messenger to the heavenly lady Beatrice and she has sent him to Dante to salvage his
For instance a piece of political propaganda is found in Canto XXIV of the Inferno, like on many occasions Dante decides to give a prediction of future events in the political world through souls he comes across throughout his journey. In this instance it is Vanni Fucci, a thieve who makes his home in the eight circle of hell with the hypocrites who predicts the defeat of the Whites. The Whites, were the political party Dante associated himself with during his exile, soon after their defeat during one of their many attempts to reenter Florence Dante wisely decided to break away from the White party and form his own