The Politics of Dante Alighieri
Inside the mind of the ‘exile among exiles’
Most of us know Dante as the author of Inferno, the first part of his epic Commedia, which was later christened ‘divine’ by Boccaccio, and is now known the world over as The Divine Comedy. It is a seminal piece of western literature and Dante is one of few individuals who could legitimately claim the title of greatest Western author in history.
His brutal depictions of hell have inspired artists, poets and authors for generations. Chances are that if you picture Hell in your mind, its Dante’s Hell you’ll see. Howling winds, eternal blackness, monstrous mythological beasts, tormented souls and Satan himself all dwell in the circles of Inferno and generations of scholars have spent their lives unpicked the tangled web of symbolism, allegory and possible interpretations of the Commedia. As such, I will not attempt to describe the events of Dante’s masterpiece. I encourage anyone interested in him to read the Commedia, which can more than speak for itself.
As important as the Commedia is however, it is not the only major work of Dante. There were three other notable works written by him over the course of his life, many of them in exile. They are Vita Nova (New Life), Convivio (Banquet), and De Monarchia (Monarchy). A complete survey of each of these works is not…
