Despite the actual representation of this picture, what
could this “real” picture be saying on a symbolic level?
Dante’s Inferno
• Objectives:
– Students will learn and understand the symbolism,
metaphors, and allegory Dante uses to establish his
structure, themes, and concepts.
– Students will be able to identify the characteristics of
epic poetry Dante borrows from various poets in
antiquity including the Gilgamesh author, Homer, and
Virgil.
– Students will be able to synthesize multiple sources
and create claims and use supporting evidence to
support their claims.
Group Activity
• On your group’s whiteboard, make a bullet point list of
the ways the artist captures the experience of your
group’s stage of life.
Things to consider:
Color
Images
Scenery
Allegory vs. Symbolism
• A symbol is a word, place, character, or object
that means something beyond what it is on a
literal level.
• An allegory involves using many
interconnected symbols or allegorical figures
in such as way that in nearly every element of
the narrative has a meaning beyond the literal
level
Word Choice in Allegory
• It is not only symbols that create an allegorical
work, but even word choice…Dante
establishes this in the first line. Which word
does he use to establish allegory?
Homework
Just like previous claim assignments, your
homework is to compose two claims:
1) What is the allegorical concept of these
images and what techniques does the artist use
to achieve this allegory?
2) Write your own claim based on the allegorical
concept and or technique.
Oration Claim Example
• Claim: In an attempt to appeal to their
audiences’ emotion, all of the orators choose
to speak in a patriotic way. However, Pericles
does this best because he invoked the
audiences’ national pride more powerfully
than any of the other speeches.
Oration Example
• In an attempt to appeal to their audiences’
emotion (pathos), all of the orators choose to
speak at hallowed grounds where citizens of their
respective communities lost their lives; however,
since the location of Bush’s speech is at the
grounds where unsuspecting citizens lost their
lives due to a terrorist attack- as opposed to lives
lost on a battlefield where soldiers and citizens
alike would expect such a loss- he is better able
to appeal to his audience’s pathos, invoke
national pride, and incite them to action.