Dante Alighieri

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Thesis Statement: Through The Divine Comedy, Dante powerfully speaks out about his triumph over his personal disaster, thus making the epic poem a true “divine comedy.”

I. Childhood
A. Birth
1. Florence, Italy
2. May/June of 1265
3. Born into a low-aristocracy family of the Guelfo party B. Family
1. Mother- Bella, died before he was 14
2. Father died prior to 1283
3. Had a step brother and step sister although he did not mention them in any of his works C. Beatrice Portinari- his muse from the age of nine until after her death in 1290 D. his life was shaped by the long history of conflict between the Ghibellines and Guelfs. II. Adulthood

A. Member of the White Guelfs
B. Married Gemma Donati in 1283, they had been betrothed since 1277 C. Fought as a calvaryman against the Ghibellines
D. Held high public office- rose from city councilman to ambassador of Florence E. Exiled from Florence in 1301
1.one of the first active among the exiled Guelfs in an attempt to make a military return 2. once exiled Dante traveled to many cities and finally made a home in Ravenna. F. Was a member of the guild of physicians and apothecaries G. Dante was called in January 1302 to appear before the Florentine government, failing to appear he was convicted of crimes he didn’t commit H. On March 10, 1302 dante failed to appear again and he was condemned to be burnt to death. III. Literary Works

A. The Divine Comedy
1. Written after Dante was exiled- started in 1307 and finished in 1314. 2. on a personal level, it’s about his exile from his home city of Florence 3. on a comprehensive level, it’s an allegory about a journey through hell, purgatory, and paradise. 4. Rhyme scheme is terza rima (aba, bcb, cdc, etc.) 5. Plot:...
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