(Recorded Course) Dante on Dante with Kevin O'Brien

Kevin O’Brien, professional actor and host of EWTN’s TV series The Theater of the Word appears as Dante - in person via Zoom! Dante discusses his Vita Nuova, his love for Beatrice and several cantos in The Divine Comedy.

How to get the most out of Dante on Dante with Kevin O’Brien:

  • 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.

Special Notes: Course materials are provided free by the instructor. If you find you’d like to go deeper into Dante after this course, sign up for Dr. Russell’s course “Dante’s Inferno” in the spring.

Total classes: 6

Duration: 55 minutes per class

Prerequisite: None

Suggested grade level: 9th to 12th grade

Suggested high school credit: ½ semester Literature or English

Instructor: Kevin O’Brien

Instructor email: kevin@classeswithkevin.com 

Course Description: For most students, Dante’s Divine Comedy is hardly a comedy -- because it’s so hard! In this course, Kevin O’Brien, who portrays Dante Alighieri in the one-man show, “The Divine Dante,” will bring The Divine Comedy to life as Dante himself conducts most of the classes! This course will be interactive engagement at its best! Learn Dante from Dante!

Course Outline:

  1. Introduction, as led by Mr. O’Brien

  2. Dante on Vita Nuova and Beatrice

  3. Dante on Canto 19 from The Inferno

  4. Dante on Canto 31 from Purgatorio

  5. Dante on a Canto 23 from Paradiso

  6. Review, as led by Mr. O’Brien

Course Materials: We will read selections from a variety of translations, with PDF’s provided free by the instructor

Homework: The homework for each class will include the reading assignment for the week (approximately one hour) and frequent quizzes.