- ホーム
- > 洋書
- > 英文書
- > Biography / Autobiography
Full Description
Dante is one of the towering figures of medieval European literature. Yet many riddles and questions about him persist. By re-reading Dante with an open mind, Barbara Reynolds made remarkable discoveries and unlocked previously hidden secrets about this greatest of Florentine poets. A fundamental enigma has tantalised readers of the 'Commedia' for seven centuries. Who was the leader prophesied by Virgil and Beatrice to bring peace to the world? Many attempts have been made to identify him, but none has seemed conclusive - until now. As well as proposing a solution to the famous prophecies, this lively, engaging and elegantly-written biography contains a provocative new idea in virtually every chapter. Dr Reynolds' research indicates that Dante smoked cannabis to reach new heights of creativity. That Beatrice, Dante's great love, was not who most scholars think she was. That Dante was a talented public speaker, who created a quite new form of poetic art, holding audiences spellbound. Above all, Reynolds views Dante as one of the greatest spin-doctors of Western civilization. His aim was not to preach an interesting parable about punishments for sin and rewards for virtue.It was to use poetry to change the politics of the age, and unite Europe around the secular authority of an Emperor. To promote this idea, which dominated his writings from his exile onwards, Dante combined it with a dramatic presentation of the Christian belief in Hell, Purgatory and Heaven. Vividly told in the first person, with a colour and immediacy derived from the pop art of street narrators - now made to seem respectable by its use of classical predecessors like Virgil - this extraordinary journey through the three realms was always profoundly political in intent. Dante here comes alive as never before: irate, opinionated, settling scores - a man of multifaceted gifts and extraordinary genius, whose role as an interpreter of world history makes him more than ever relevant to the new millennium.
Contents
List of IllustrationsAcknowledgementsIntroduction1. The Early Years2. Dante and Guido Cavalcanti3. Disaster4. The First Years of Exile5. Language and Poetry6. Invitation to a Banquet7. Main Dishes and Trenchers8. The True Definition of Nobility9. Injustice and Avarice10. Dante the Showman11. The Return of Beatrice12. The Story Begins13. Limbo14. Francesca da Rimini15. Dante in Danger16. Dante the Taxonomist17. Creation of Character.18. Down into the Depths19. 'Him of Alagna'20. Virgil and Sorcery21. Devil-Play22. A Den of Thieves23. Tongues of Fire24. The Severed Head25. The Valley of Disease26. Towering Giants27. The Frozen Lake28. Lucifer29. The Tragedy of Henry VII30. Better Waters31. The Morning Sun32. From Humour to Invective33. Close of Day and a New Dawn34. Pride and Humility35. Evil and the Freedom of the Will36. Love, Natural and Rational37. The Mountain Trembles38. Dante and Forese Donati39. Body and Soul40. The Christian Sibyl41. Who is Matilda?42. Dante and hisPatrons43. Prelude to Paradiso44. Beatrice in Heaven45. Propaganda in Paradiso46. The City Walls47. Justice Unfathomed48. Dante and Monasticism49. The Theme's Great Weight50. Faith, Hope and Love51. Hatred in Heaven52. The Creation53. The Departure of Beatrice54. Approach to the Final Vision55. The Vision of the TrinityEpilogueAppendicesChronology of Dante's Life and WorksGuelfs and GhibellinesList of Popes in Dante's LifetimeHoly Roman Emperors Referred to by DanteThe CanzoneNotesSelect Index
