Talk:Divine Comedy

Redemptrix? Mediatrix? Dominatrix?

"Beatrice, a redemptrix and mediatrix, [...]"? What do these words mean?

They are feminine forms of "redemptor" and "mediator". Adam Bishop 04:42, 23 Mar 2004 (UTC)

...but just the faintest bit pretentious... --Wetman 03:40, 11 Feb 2005 (UTC)

Spoiler warning...?

I believe the whole divina commedia has been summarized here, even with the lack of details, and this as in all cases demands a Spoiler warning.... with such, those who'd want to know about the story even if they have read it or not (like me, who doesn't remember every aspect of it...) would like to know about the punishments and ambiences of each of the circles of the inferno and purgatorio, and would appreciate very much this extra info, so thanks :). Kreachure 17:04, 7 Jul 2004 (UTC)

Is this a joke? What exactly is being given away? The narrative is secondary to the philosophy, so effectively we're saying 'If you do not want to know that Dante used images of light and the divine rose to portray paradise, please look away now'. Filiocht 09:34, Feb 10, 2005 (UTC)

Well, the problem is with the idea that anything "in all cases demands" anything, don't you think? But, a Spoiler Warning for the Divine Comedy ("gawrsh, Mickey, how d'ya suppose it all comes out?") is a recipe for bathos. Like a Spoiler Warning for Revelation or Macbeth. --Wetman 03:40, 11 Feb 2005 (UTC)

Beatrice, woman or City?

I wikified the mention of Beatrice in the article and I found out on following the link that it links to a city and not to the ideal woman as the article mentions. How to organise this better? Kartheeque 11:33, 9 Nov 2004 (UTC)

Virgil was sent to Dante from Beatrice... Arizona... --Wetman 03:40, 11 Feb 2005 (UTC)

Dante's Inferno

Dante's Inferno is the title of several movies and other works. It is currently a redirect here, to The Divine Comedy, but I think it should be turned into a disambiguation page that includes a link here. -Willmcw 11:04, 2 Feb 2005 (UTC)

Goodness gracious! The disambiguation page should be Dante's Inferno (disambiguation). Dante's Inferno should lead the poor Wikipedia reader here. Anything else exposes us to snickering. What is the reader looking for in entering "Dante's Inferno"? a topless highway restaurant outside Elko, Nevada? --Wetman 03:40, 11 Feb 2005 (UTC)

Illustrations

If the Gustave Doré ("Paul Gustave Doré" is a little owlish) illustrations were identified as to which Canto they illustrate, this stewpot of an entry could be more handsomely formatted. There's a Dover edition someone might have access to... --Wetman 03:40, 11 Feb 2005 (UTC)

Gutenberg has a set of illustrated volumes, the complete file is 35 Mb, but here are links to selected volumes.

Cantos 1-2

Cantos 3-4

Cantos 23-28

Cantos 32-34

Get a full index by searching for Dante Alighieri at http://www.gutenberg.org/catalog/world/search -Wikibob | Talk 21:34, 2005 Mar 6 (UTC)

Devil May Cry

I added this section from here. I wrote it myself, so copyright isn't an issue. I hope you guys like it and consider it worthy of staying here. Anyone who has played Devil May Cry 1 and 3, and read The Divine Comedy can clearly see the similarities. I think this section fits the article since it's kind of interesting trivia.

EliasAlucard|Talk 09:22, Apr 10, 2005 (UTC)

Response and criticism

In my opinion pretty much everything after the first paragraph under Response and criticism should appear under Derivative Works. Maybe Derivative Works should be made a subheader under Response and criticism. Unless somebody objects I will change it that way. Conrad Leviston 13:24, 13 Apr 2005 (UTC)

I'd hate for Response and criticism to be turned into a big list like Derivative Works is now. (Big lists seem to look better at the ends of articles.) I'd say: Keep the first three paragraphs of Response and criticism and add the rest (the part composed of a big list) to Derivative Works. --Instant Classic 01:37, 15 Apr 2005 (UTC)

I agree with instant classic. Well, partly at least. I don't want derivative works to be a subsection of response and criticism. That's all. It should be as it is.

EliasAlucard|Talk 05:57, Apr 15, 2005 (UTC)

The substantive part of this section then needs to be expanded to cover both those periods when Dante's reputation was at low ebbs as well as when he was on a high. I'll try to look up some refs I have at home over the weekend. Filiocht | Blarneyman 08:46, Apr 15, 2005 (UTC)

Sure, but that doesn't mean it has to be merged with the derivative works part?

EliasAlucard|Talk 10:51, Apr 15, 2005 (UTC)

I'd be in favour of moving anything that remains a list to Derivative works, but not until the R&C section is rewritten. Filiocht | Blarneyman 09:13, Apr 15, 2005 (UTC)

Bullets

I just bulleted the levels of Inferno, Pergatorio and Paradiso. Is this good? Alex Weeks 22:11, 18 May 2005 (UTC)

No complaints, seems like the right thing to do. Stbalbach 22:19, 18 May 2005 (UTC)

Rhyme Scheme

"The verse scheme used, terza rima, is the hendecasyllable (line of eleven syllables), with the lines composing tercets according to the rhyme scheme ABA BCB CDC . . . YZY Z." This sentence is pretty much incomprehensible to non-poets. WOuld it be possible for someone to re-write this in a clearer way? I'll do some digging and see if I can figure it out, which i doubt I can. 8 July 2005 18:55 (UTC)

Original copies??

What is exactly meant by original copies? As far as I know there's no original Dante manuscript, not only for the Commedia but also for letters or whatever else. If by original copy is meant Dante's handwriting, then I believe the information is not accurate (to say the least). The manuscript here in Milan at the Biblioteca Trivulziana is dated 1337. Does anybody have more details? If we could have Dante's manuscript .... think of the time spent in endless discussions about a word, an article a rhyme ... --Marco Bonavoglia 12:17, 3 August 2005 (UTC)

Derivative Works

I have to say the list of 'derivative' music is a riot. Absolutely priceless stuff. Various 'tributes' by metal bands get a mention, but the list doesn't even include Franz Liszt's Dante Sonata, which is artistically far above anything mentioned, as is Pyotr Tchaikovsky's Divine Comedy related tone poem to name another. Maybe it is for the better though, it just doesn't seem right to insert such pieces in a list that among other things includes a Milla Jovovich album and a reference to some obscure "Christian metalcore band with hardcore punk influences." The musical sophistication shown by that list is nil. 05:53, 28 August 2005 (UTC)

It would have taken fewer keystrokes to add it yourself than sit on-high and deprecate Wikipedia on the talk page. But then, that seems your real intent. Stbalbach 16:09, 28 August 2005 (UTC)

I guess my 'intent' was to deprecate the lack of musical sophistication, however, the point I made is relevant and valid whether you like it or not. Anyone with the slightest degree of musical and cultural sophistication is likely to agree with me. The current list is silly, but I am sure many people would take offence if someone went in and removed all the dross. Therefore I have no intention or desire to start making changes. This is what can happen with an open encyclopedia like Wikipedia. There is no quality control in certain areas because maintaining it is very difficult if not impossible. It is just as impossible to prevent someone from putting out a record called "Divine Comedy (Tribute to Dante)" that consists of farts and burps and two planks of wood loudly slamming together with someone reciting an awfully rhymed gory verse over it in a nasal voice. I'm sure that recording could make its way to the list of derivative works if someone made it and added it. Of course that is an extreme example, but nonetheless you need someone with sophistication and discernment to put a stop to all the madness and bring order into chaos by qualitative decisions. Unfortunately in this case any qualitative judgment would probably be viewed as elitist, snobbish and highbrow by the majority. Sad but true. 21:31, 28 August 2005 (UTC)

The list has only been around 6 months or so and is waiting for an educated editor to add the highbrow pieces. I estimate there are probably thousands if not tens of thousands of cultural works that derive from Divine Comedy. Who is to say which should be included and which should not? Thats the nature of Wikipedia. The list was created because any editor has a right to add to the list. Whats important to some is not to others. Eventually when the list is long enough it will spawn off a new article. Where else will you find a list like this? In 5 or 10 years it may be entirely unique. I think your vision is very narrow, lists like you suggest allready exist. And not to worry, whatever your holding back will get added by someone else in the future. Stbalbach 22:06, 28 August 2005 (UTC)

Section on the morality of Dante's Hell?

Is there any literature critiquing Dante's concept of justice? If there is, it could be used in a section discussing the philosophical and moral debates over the concept of eternal punishment.--Rob117 03:46, 29 August 2005 (UTC)