Walking With Dante16 Joulu 2020

The Case Against Francesca: INFERNO, Canto V, Lines 88 - 142

Dante, our pilgrim, calls the two who are light on the winds of lust to float down to him. When they arrive, he gets more than he bargained for. Francesca (with her Paolo) proves the greatest danger yet to the pilgrim.

Francesca's self-narrated "novelle" of her damnation is a master class in manipulation. Or at least so I'll see it in this episode of WALKING WITH DANTE, in which I present the case against her.

Join me, Mark Scarbrough, as we explore the story of this most provocative figure: a seducer, flatterer, and an oily talker. Francesca escapes the pilgrim's grasp and pulls him to see the world her way--that is, a damned way.

Consider supporting this podcast by offering a donation or a very small stipend at this PayPal link right here.

Here are the segments of this episode of WALKING WITH DANTE:

[02:19] My English translation of INFERNO, Canto V, lines 88 - 142. If you'd like to read along, find a study guide for a more intense interpretation of this passage, or leave a comment for me so we can continue talking about this episode, please find its entry on my website, markscarbrough.com.

[06:55] Historical facts about the speaker, Francesca da Rimini, including Boccaccio's (unreliable?) story about her.

[09:46] Two strange words in Francesca's speech: "Caïna" and "galeotto."

[12:32] The case against Francesca: five points that justify her damnation.

[20:42] A little bit about courtly love.

[23:26] More in the case against Francesca: her literary downfall.

[30:43] And finally, a little about the two men on the scene: her lover Paolo and our pilgrim, as well as their analogous and telling reactions to her speech.

Mentioned in this episode:

A brief introduction to the walk ahead

Tämä jakso on lisätty Podme-palveluun avoimen RSS-syötteen kautta eikä se ole Podmen omaa tuotantoa. Siksi jakso saattaa sisältää mainontaa.

Jaksot(509)

The Expanding Community of Women in the Moon: PARADISO, Canto III, Lines 109 - 130

Piccarda Donati doesn’t stop her monologue with the cryptic line about her life after the convent. She turns to another figure in the lunar landscape: Constance I of Sicily, the Holy Roman Empress and...

23 Syys 23min

The Violent yet Elliptical End to Piccarda Donati's Story: PARADISO, Canto III, Lines 88 - 108

Piccarda Donati finally answers the question about who she is. She's given her name but not much else about her. In twelve lines (or four tercets) she brings her personal story to its violent yet elli...

20 Syys 27min

Piccarda Donati's Apotheosis of the Will: PARADISO, Canto III, Lines 58 - 87

Piccarda has confessed to her more humble place in the heavens. Our pilgrim Dante then wants to know if she wants more.Her answer leads her to an apotheosis of the will. Everything in the universe is ...

16 Syys 30min

The First Soul in Paradise, Piccarda Donati: PARADISO, Canto III, Lines 34 - 57

At long last, the first soul--or "shade"--steps forward in Paradise. She's Piccarda Donati, a figure we've already encountered once (maybe even twice) in COMEDY.Dante flatters her to speak and she beg...

13 Syys 29min

Catching Feelings in the Sensual Sphere of the Moon: PARADISO, Canto III, Lines 1 - 33

Dante is about to meet the first souls in Paradise, emerging from the liquid light of the moon.The poetry is lush and sensuous. The metaphors are complex and compounded. And Beatrice is a bit chilly, ...

9 Syys 28min

The Souls of the Universe: PARADISO, Canto II, Lines 127 - 148

Beatrice concludes her explanation for moon spots by veering away from them specifically to talk about the nature of the universe.Blessed movers turn the spheres. Or perhaps inhabit them. Or are bound...

6 Syys 27min

The Diversity of Being in a Universe of Light: PARADISO, Canto II, Lines 106 - 126

Beatrice now launches into the true explanation for moon spots, found not in folklore, not in natural philosophy, but in metaphysics.Her explanation pushes her to disclose the parts of the universe we...

2 Syys 28min

Testing Theology With Optics: PARADISO, Canto II, Lines 85 - 105

Beatrice continues in her scientific and Scholastic explanation for moon spots by taking apart a secondary argument . . . and proposing an optical experiment.She voices an objection Dante might have: ...

30 Elo 26min