(Recorded Course) An Introduction to Dante’s Divine Comedy with Joseph Pearce

Learn about Dante’s trilogy masterpiece in this 6-week overview course with selections in reading -- and immediately follow the six weeks with Kevin O’Brien’s Dante course, to complete your full semester in literature as you grow your cultural literacy (and gain British Literature credit).

How to get the most out of An Introduction to Dante’s Divine Comedy with Joseph Pearce:

  • First, read the course materials below before the first class meeting.

  • Then have a notebook ready and available for class notes each live session.

  • Read assignments before class meetings

  • Watch that week’s recording if you need to revisit information from our live session.

  • Do the assignments, quizzes, and any extra work assigned for that week.

  • Once the course is completed to the parent's and professor’s satisfaction, there is a Certificate of Completion at the end to be filled in for your records.

Total Classes: 6

Duration: 55 Minutes

Prerequisite: The ability to read and enjoy Dante’s Divine Comedy

Suggested Grade Level: 9th to 12th Grade

Suggested Credit: ½ semester British Literature or Literature

Meeting Location: 

Instructor: Joseph Pearce

Instructor Email: joseph.pearce@augustineinstitute.org

Course Description: Students will be introduced to Dante’s literary masterpiece through a selective reading of cantos from each of the three books of the Comedy (Inferno, Purgatory, Paradise), focusing on the moral theology that informs the work.

Course Outline:

  • Class 1: Introducing Dante & The Divine Comedy; Inferno, Cantos 1, 3, 5,

  • Class 2: Inferno, Cantos 23, 25, 34

  • Class 3: Purgatory, Cantos 1, 3, 9, 11

  • Class 4: Purgatory, Cantos 28, 29, 30, 33

  • Class 5: Paradise, Cantos 10, 11, 12, 13, 19

  • Class 6: Paradise, Cantos 24, 26, 31, 33

Course Materials: We will read selections from Dorothy L. Sayers’ translations. Professor Pearce will refer to her notes and commentaries, so students must purchase or borrow these specific editions:

  • Dante, The Divine Comedy, Part 1: Hell (Penguin Classics: ISBN #0140440062)

  • Dante, The Divine Comedy, Part 2: Purgatory (Penguin Classics: ISBN #0140440461)

  • Dante, The Divine Comedy, Part 3: Paradise (Penguin Classics: ISBN #0140441050)

Homework: The homework for each class will include the reading assignment for the week (approximately 1 hour) and then reviewing for, and taking, the weekly quiz (approximately 1 hour).