Yet today this great poem is often dismissed by modern scholars for its unabashed Catholic theology and deep spiritual vision. Shrug off these skeptical scholars disdain and discover for yourself the true grandeur, Christian nature, and sheer artistry of Dante's Divine Comedy.
- Cantos 1–3: Where Are You Going, Traveler?
Dante, bewildered in sin, meets Virgil, sent to him by Beatrice. Together, they enter the terrible gates of Hell. - Cantos 4–8: Loving Good Things in an Evil Way
Dante and Virgil, after meeting the virtuous pagans in Limbo, the rim of Hell, meet the adulterers, gluttons, avaricious, wrathful, and slothful. - Cantos 9–12: Intellectual Terror
Virgil and Dante enter the first ring of the City of Dis, which includes the materialist heretics, who reveal to us the terrible constriction of the intellect entailed by sin. - Cantos 13–17: A World of Violence
Dante and Virgil encounter the violent against self, God, Nature, and human industry. These are not simply murderers -- they are suicides, blasphemers, sodomites, and usurers. - Cantos 18–22: Liars and All Such Filth
Dante and Virgil travel through the Malebolge, the pouches of evil on the eighth circle of Hell where they meet various practitioners of fraud, including seducers, simonists, and grafters. - Cantos 23–27: The Fire of a Perverted Mind
As they continue around the Malebolge, Dante and Virgil journey past those who used their intellects to deceive: hypocrites, thieves, and evil counselors. - Cantos 28–31: Destroying the Community of Man
In the ninth pouch, Virgil and Dante find the schismatics, who are punished by division in their bodies. In the final pouch, they meet the counterfeiters who are punished by disease. - Cantos 32–34: When Hell Freezes Over
Dante and Virgil come to the very last circle of Hell, and encounter the impotence of evil in the frozen pit where the Father of Lies is trapped in ice.
With Professor Esolen you will enter the terrible gates of Hell and progress level by infernal level to its diabolical depths. Professor Esolen places a special emphasis on the drama of the poem, leading you through each canto in succession. Along the way, he will highlight Dante's astonishing human and theological insights and discuss the destiny of man, how to find our way out of the wilderness of sin, the relationship between love and knowledge, and the integral unity between body and soul.
Professor Esolen will more than satisfy your curiosity about Hell and the fate of the damned. He will reveal in all its starkness the horror of sin, and awaken in your heart a longing for divine love.
The Homeschooling Set includes the Streaming Video and Homeschooling Course Guide. Each Course Guide contains everything needed for a student to complete the course, including:
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- Lesson Plan
- Quizzes
- Final Essay
- Lecture Notes
- Answer Key
MEET YOUR PROFESSOR
Dr. Anthony Esolen is a writer, social commentator, translator of classical poetry, and Writer-in-Residence at Magdalen College of the Liberal Arts. He taught at Furman University and Providence College before transferring to the Thomas More College of Liberal Arts in 2017 and Magdalen in 2019.
Dr. Esolen has translated into English Dante’s Divine Comedy, Lucretius’ On the Nature of Things, and Torquato Tasso’s Jerusalem Delivered. He is the author of numerous books and articles in such publications as The Modern Age, The Catholic World Report, Chronicles, The Claremont Review of Books, The Public Discourse, First Things, Crisis Magazine, The Catholic Thing, and Touchstone, for which he serves as a senior editor. He is a regular contributor to Magnificat, and has written frequently for a host of other online journals.
Dr. Esolen's web magazine, Word and Song, features fascinating weekly analyses of language, poetry, hymns and film in his signature humorous intellectual style.
- Author:
- Anthony Esolen, PhD
- Imprint:
- TAN Courses
- Publication Date:
- 1/1/2012
- Wistia Name:
- CCI: Dante's Inferno
- Wistia Url:
- https://www.tanbooks.com/cci-dantes-inferno-mkp-2019/
- Wistia Hash:
- biu7wfoyin
6 Reviews
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Inferno
So far, my favorite class that I have participated in was Anthony Esolen’s course of Dante’s Inferno, though I had to take it online. His explanations of Dante and Vergil’s journey through the fires of Hell and up to the mountain of Purgatory, along with the great poet’s choice of words, makes you feel like you’re on the journey with the two poets, braving monsters and punishments until you finally reach the end. Esolen also gave detailed reviews on the original text of The Divine Comedy, fitting the Italian text into every scene and explaining the connection between it and the situation at hand. The adventure in the Inferno coupled with the point of view the course brings to those who watch it will leave you with a sense of wonder when it comes to morals, faith, and maybe even ideology. Moreover, the professor never let up in making you feel anticipation for the next major connection between a scene and what we experience today. He encourages you to take a look at your life and put yourself in the shoes of a character in the story. Are you acting like a suffering soul and not noticing it, instead of a beloved child of God? Does Dante’s mood in a scene represent you sometimes, even when you don’t want to admit it? You never know unless you look deep into yourself and pray for advice from God. It feels like he is Vergil himself, guiding you down the paths of danger with confidence in what he’s doing. On another hand of the class, Esolen puts into detail as to how the people in Hell got there, even those who were thought to have gone up to Heaven or Purgatory. His analysis on the subject, without spoiling too much of the course for other people, even covered how a Pope went to Hell, even when he was thought to have ascended. Some souls went repentant too late in their lives, and fell down, some were bitter enemies of the Church, others were bloodthirsty conquerors now forced into the boiling blood of their enemies. Nevertheless, they all share the same resting place: The pit of eternal flames. Finally, we reach the end of the lectures. The professor ties the last canto of the story that he stops at with today, and lets you think about what connections you yourself can make. And with all his wisdom for the recording shared, he takes his leave. In all honesty, I recommend the class to any student that wants the truth about poetry, as this class on the TAN Books website.
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My Trusted Guide for the Divine Comedy!
I read The Divine Comedy earlier this year solo. When Tan Books offered The Inferno Video Course with Dr. Esolen I decided to sign up. WOW! The Inferno went from black and white to COLOR! Thank you Dr. Esolen for a truly enlightening and entertaining journey thru hell. :D Best regards and warmest thanks. Mary Jo
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Useful.
Useful.
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REALLY GREAT!!
I used this book for my senior Theology class! I found it to be a very helpful resource from how I presented the material to how I lead my discussions. Thank you!
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Dantes Inferno
This is a great companion to focus the study of this mighty work and provides questions for meditation.
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If you have ever wanted
If you have ever wanted to read Dante;s Divine Comedy, this is the study for you. Dr. Anthony Esolen is an excellent and engaging teacher. My husband and I have watched it together and have gotten so much out of this course. Watch the trailer and then go for it!
