|
Unit
12 |
|
English
201:
Masterpieces
of Western Literature |
Review:
You learned that the European medieval
outlook was characterized by:
-
an otherworldly concern, specifically for
one's final destiny in heaven or hell
-
the cult of the virgin (Mariology) & courtly
love
-
feudal hierarchies in both secular & religious
institutions illustrated by the Great Chain of Being
-
Natural Law that argued against progress or
change
We found a kind of review in the Inferno
of classical literary & historic characters.
We saw that Dante was eclectic & unsystematic.
Sometimes he:
-
affirmed classical values, e.g., fame (24.46)
& fate (33.125)
-
affirmed medieval Christian values
-
railed against the corruption of the church,
sending many popes & other clergy to hell
-
rewrote or recast classical sources, e.g.,
with Medea, Odysseus, & Tiresias
In our next to the last lesson next week we will consider the early Renaissance
Italian writer Boccaccio. See you next week.