Dante's Fearful Art of Justice

Fiction & Literature, Literary Theory & Criticism, Medieval, Poetry History & Criticism, Nonfiction, History
Cover of the book Dante's Fearful Art of Justice by Anthony Cassell, University of Toronto Press, Scholarly Publishing Division
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Anthony Cassell ISBN: 9781442654532
Publisher: University of Toronto Press, Scholarly Publishing Division Publication: December 15, 1984
Imprint: Language: English
Author: Anthony Cassell
ISBN: 9781442654532
Publisher: University of Toronto Press, Scholarly Publishing Division
Publication: December 15, 1984
Imprint:
Language: English

Dante's Fearful Art of Justice deals primarily with the symbolic significance of 'the state of souls after death' in various episodes of the Inferno, the first canticle of Dante's Divina Commedia. The fruitlessness of the Auerbach-Singleton approach to the poem is demonstrated by Professor Cassell's investigations, which are based on the belief that Dante used both the theological system of fourfold allegory and the preconfiguration-fulfilment pattern of history found in the Old and New Testaments. 

The author first deals with the history of contrapassum, 'just retribution,' as it appeared in philosophy and theology, and describes Dante's use of historical and artistic figuration, both classical and Christian. It is central to Cassell's aim to show how Dante believed that his portrayal of the damned revealed the justice of God. Critics have believed that the relation of sin to the suffering of the shades in Hell was tenuous or even arbitrary in many cases. Cassell shows, through a close examination of Dante's assimilation of the Classics (and their medieval interpretations), or patristics, and of traditional iconography, that there is an intimate metaphorical and artistic aptness in the poet's representation. Cassell relies at some points on art history, and thirty-four illustrations of frescoes, statuary, and illuminations from paleo-Christian times to the fourteenth century are therefore included.

This volume will be of particular interest to medieval specialists, historians of the Renaissance and Reformation periods, and those concerned with European literature.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Dante's Fearful Art of Justice deals primarily with the symbolic significance of 'the state of souls after death' in various episodes of the Inferno, the first canticle of Dante's Divina Commedia. The fruitlessness of the Auerbach-Singleton approach to the poem is demonstrated by Professor Cassell's investigations, which are based on the belief that Dante used both the theological system of fourfold allegory and the preconfiguration-fulfilment pattern of history found in the Old and New Testaments. 

The author first deals with the history of contrapassum, 'just retribution,' as it appeared in philosophy and theology, and describes Dante's use of historical and artistic figuration, both classical and Christian. It is central to Cassell's aim to show how Dante believed that his portrayal of the damned revealed the justice of God. Critics have believed that the relation of sin to the suffering of the shades in Hell was tenuous or even arbitrary in many cases. Cassell shows, through a close examination of Dante's assimilation of the Classics (and their medieval interpretations), or patristics, and of traditional iconography, that there is an intimate metaphorical and artistic aptness in the poet's representation. Cassell relies at some points on art history, and thirty-four illustrations of frescoes, statuary, and illuminations from paleo-Christian times to the fourteenth century are therefore included.

This volume will be of particular interest to medieval specialists, historians of the Renaissance and Reformation periods, and those concerned with European literature.

More books from University of Toronto Press, Scholarly Publishing Division

Cover of the book University College by Anthony Cassell
Cover of the book A.M. Klein The Letters by Anthony Cassell
Cover of the book A Croce Reader by Anthony Cassell
Cover of the book Kegan Paul – A Victorian Imprint by Anthony Cassell
Cover of the book Lonergan in the World by Anthony Cassell
Cover of the book Transforming Conflict through Insight by Anthony Cassell
Cover of the book The Sopranos by Anthony Cassell
Cover of the book Homophobia in the Hallways by Anthony Cassell
Cover of the book Longing for Justice by Anthony Cassell
Cover of the book Town and Country Planning in England and Wales by Anthony Cassell
Cover of the book Canadian Annual Review of Politics and Public Affairs 2007 by Anthony Cassell
Cover of the book The Blackfoot Dictionary of Stems, Roots, and Affixes by Anthony Cassell
Cover of the book Structures of Feeling in Seventeenth-Century Cultural Expression by Anthony Cassell
Cover of the book The German Novel, 1939-1944 by Anthony Cassell
Cover of the book The Sense of Power by Anthony Cassell
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy