Dante's Inferno: Violence, Suicide, and Sodomy - Cantos XII-XVI

Explore the middle zone of Dante's Inferno in this 75-minute lecture from Yale University's "Dante in Translation" course. Delve into the area of violence (Inferno XII-XVI), examining the concentration of hybrid creatures and closely analyzing cantos XIII and XV. Discover the literary context of the pilgrim's encounter with Pier delle Vigne in Inferno XIII, drawing connections to Aeneid III. Investigate the questioning of authority that resurfaces in the circle of sodomy (Inferno XV), where the pilgrim's meeting with his teacher, Brunetto Latini, is interpreted as a critique of humanistic values. The lecture covers the middle ground and its presiding figures, the suicides in Canto XIII, Pier delle Vigne's story, Dante's understanding of sodomy, the figure of Geryon, and concludes with a question and answer session.