Course Syllabus

C LIT 361 B: Topics in Early Modern Literature

Jointly offered with

ITAL 262 A: Dante's Divine Comedy

Instructor: Dr Beatrice Arduini Links to an external site. (barduini@uw.edu)

Class meets: MW 1:30 - 3:20 PM JHN Links to an external site. 111 Links to an external site.

Class meetings will be held in person, 1:30-3:20pm, JHN 111, with an online option:

https://washington.zoom.us/j/96100943870 Links to an external site.

 

Links to an external site.

Office Hours: By appointment in person or via Zoom

Course description:

This course is devoted to one of the most fascinating and influential masterpieces of Western literature, Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy. As readers we not only observe the pilgrim's journey through the afterlife, from the dark wood of error to the vision of truth, we participate in it as well, as we encounter questions about the nature of evil, the possibility for spiritual improvement, and the experience of true happiness. We will also discover surprising parallels with our own time, particularly now that the Italian government decreed March 25th to be National Dante Day in honor of the celebrated author as a “symbol of unity." The course is taught in English. Course image: Go Nagai - La Divina Commedia (J-POP, 2019).

Weekly Schedule *Updated on Jan. 11* Download Weekly Schedule *Updated on Jan. 11*

Note: the syllabus may be changed at any time if necessary. I will communicate changes to the schedule via Canvas.

Learning objectives:

• Introduce the major currents of thirteen-century Italian literature and the main historical events of that period of time
• Discuss Dante’s major work, with particular emphasis on the historical and aesthetic significance of the Divine Comedy in the history of Medieval literature and European culture
• Improve critical thinking, reading, writing skills while examining some episodes of the poem using a variety of media.

Required Books:

Dante Alighieri, Divine Comedy, translated by Allen Mandelbaum: all volumes Bantam Classics (Inferno 1980, Purgatorio 1982, and Paradiso 1984), OR any other translation with footnotes and endnotes. You can also find the Mandelbaum translation here Links to an external site. (without endnotes).

Websites (not an exhaustive list!):

The Dante Society of America https://www.dantesociety.org/

Canto per Canto: Conversations with Dante in our time Links to an external site.

Dante Lab at Dartmouth College http://dantelab.dartmouth.edu Links to an external site.

Dante's Library (Duke University) https://sites.duke.edu/danteslibrary/ Links to an external site.

Danteworlds (University of Texas at Austin) http://danteworlds.laits.utexas.edu/

Digital Dante (Columbia University) http://digitaldante.columbia.edu/

Discover Dante (University of Leeds) https://ahc.leeds.ac.uk/discover-dante/doc/inferno Links to an external site.

Mapping Dante (University of Pennsylvania) https://www.arcgis.com/apps/View/index.html?appid=45210d6ae3a34a8992b4efba164b852c Links to an external site.

Princeton Dante Project https://dante.princeton.edu/pdp/ Links to an external site. Links to an external site. Links to an external site.

Società dantesca italiana http://www.danteonline.it/english/home_ita.asp

The World of Dante (University of Virginia) http://www.worldofdante.org/

 

Course requirements and grading:

10% Participation

20% Annotation of a canto (this assignment will entail 4 annotations that might explain a term or concept in the text and provide some context and comparisons with other cantos)

25% Leading and participating in the discussion of cantos* 

25% Long Live Dante (identifying a topic, oral presentation, short paper/creative project)

20% Final Exam (take-home exam)**

* Leading and participating in the discussion of cantos: students will choose a selection of a few cantos according to a Google sign up Links to an external site. by the end of the first week of classes (Friday, January 7, 11:59pm). This assignment will entail:

• • annotate and discuss the cantos: you can take notes, circle words and phrases, underline passages you find especially beautiful or eloquent, or especially disturbing or confusing, and aspects that stimulate meaningful discussion, by using the annotation platform Hypothesis. In short, be active readers of the cantos!
  • Explain where Dante is in his journey, and briefly discuss the representative sins (or virtues) and the representative characters of each assigned canto. Describe, for each canto, the relevant contrapasso (in the case of the Inferno), the penitential sort of contrapasso (in the Purgatorio), or the relationship between a character’s history and his or her position in Heaven (in the Paradiso). See the annotations of Inferno 2 as an example.
  • Then come up with a discussion topic and post it, for example, for Inferno 3 and 4, follow this link: Discussion and annotation of Inferno 3 and 4. Another person will moderate the group discussion. Another person will summarize the outcomes of the discussion. Some possible topics are: 1. Allegory and Symbolism, 2. Historical Events (for instance, Guelph vs. Ghibellines), 3. Virgil and the Classics, 4. The Moral Architecture of Dante’s Hell, Purgatory, and Paradise, 5. Church vs. Empire, 6. Latin and Vernacular(s), 7. Classical Mythology and Christianity, 8. Italian Literature Before Dante. More instructions on Canvas Assignments.
  • Everyone is welcome to participate in the weekly discussions --and in fact, I encourage you to do so-- but only those who sign up to lead the discussion will receive a letter grade for this assignment. The participation in a minimum of 3 discussions will count toward the participation grade for any other student, and I will grade it as complete/incomplete here: Participation in the discussion on Inf 3 and 4.

** Final Exam: Upload your answers to the “Assignments” tab on Canvas, in the standard 12 pt. font, double-spaced format, margins, by Monday, March 14, at 11:59pm. Materials received after the deadline will receive a 0 grade.

Writing Credits: If you wish to receive writing credits for this course, you will be required to write a 6-page first draft for your “Long Live Dante” assignment by February 9, and revise your research paper according to my suggestions and the suggestions of Dr Nicla Riverso (riverso@uw.edu), who is going to do some of the grading, by March 11. Please contact me at barduini@uw.edu if you need further information. Students who complete the additional requirements will receive Ws on their transcripts; the other students in the course will not.

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Any use of racist, sexist, homophobic, transphobic, xenophobic, classist, or generally offensive language in class or submission of such material will not be tolerated.

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Anyone who wishes to contest a grade on a particular assignment or exam must consult his/her instructor within 7 days after the assignment was returned to them

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Format:

This class is conducted in-person. Effective August 14, 2021, the University is requiring everyone, regardless of vaccination status, to wear a mask or other face covering indoors. Students are expected to participate in class to fully benefit from course activities and meet the course’s learning objectives. I also plan to record audio from my lectures. To protect their fellow students, faculty, and staff, students who feel ill or exhibit possible COVID symptoms should not come to class. When absent, it is the responsibility of the student to inform the instructor in advance (or as close to the class period as possible in the case of an unexpected absence), and to request appropriate make-up work as per policies established in the syllabus. What make-up work is possible, or how assignments or course grading might be modified to accommodate missed work, is the prerogative of the instructor. For chronic absences, the instructor may negotiate an incomplete grade after the 8^th week, or recommend the student contact their academic adviser to consider a hardship withdrawal (known as a Registrar Drop).

If you test positive for COVID-19 or if you had close contact Links to an external site.with someone who tested positive for COVID-19, you should immediately contact the COVID-19 Response and Prevention Team at covidehc@uw.edu or 206.616.3344, and a public health professional will give you guidance to keep yourself and others safe based on your particular circumstances.

Academic Standards:

Students are expected to maintain a high standard of academic ethics, honesty and integrity. Academic misconduct includes but is not limited to: plagiarism, cheating, harassment, and disruptive or offensive behavior (see statement above), and will not be tolerated. Please refer to the University’s Student Conduct Code. Any student or situation found to be in violation of proper academic conduct will be addressed and potentially reported according to University policy.

Policy Regarding Student Concerns:

Please see your instructor, Beatrice Arduini at barduini@uw.edu about your concerns as soon as possible. If you are still not satisfied, you may contact Geoffrey Turnovsky, Chair, at gt2@uw.edu.

Access and Accommodations: 

Your experience in this class is important to us, and it is the policy and practice of the University of Washington to create inclusive and accessible learning environments consistent with federal and state law. Disability Resources for Students (DRS) offers resources and coordinates reasonable accommodations for students experiencing a wide range of temporary and permanent disabilities and/or health conditions that may impact their ability to perform well in the classroom. These include but are not limited to; mental health, attention-related, learning, vision, hearing, physical or health impacts. If you are experiencing any such difficulties, please contact DRS as soon as possible. Once you have established accommodations, please submit them to your instructor at your earliest convenience so we can discuss your needs and success in this course.

Religious Accommodations: 

It is the policy of the University of Washington to reasonably accommodate student absences or significant hardship due to reasons of faith or conscience, or for organized religious activities in accordance with Washington state law. The UW’s policy, including more information about how to request an accommodation, is available at Faculty Syllabus Guidelines and Resources. Accommodations must be within the first two weeks of this course using the Religious Accommodations Request form

“Netiquette” Standards: [if the course is conducted online]

If this course is conducted online, please remember you are still interacting with people, not a computer. As such, it is important to adhere to the same standards of behavior that you would follow in a real classroom environment for synchronous class meetings on Zoom. You and your instructor will work together to establish further class norms for teaching and learning remotely, but here are some preliminary guidelines for engaging in proper “netiquette”:

• Log in to your class meeting a few minutes early and make sure your video and microphone are working properly;
• Sit at a desk or table in a quiet, undisturbed place. Work on a computer (ideally) and avoid moving your device;
• Turn on your computer camera, check the lighting, and make sure the background you are projecting to your instructor and classmates is work-appropriate;
• Be dressed as if you were attending class in person;
• Do not engage in distracting or disruptive behavior (listening to music, eating, answering the phone, carrying on a side conversation, coming and going, etc.)
• Do not interrupt other speakers and use the “raise hand” function when you wish to speak;
• Look and maintain eye contact with the camera when speaking;
• Mute your microphone when not speaking;
• Refrain from using slang and emoticons when using public chat functions.

Other Resources: 

Facts and information regarding Winter quarter 2022 Links to an external site.

Novel coronavirus & COVID-19: facts and resources

LiveWell

Hall Health Center

The Counseling Center

UW Leadership Without Borders

The Q Center