Dante’s Inferno: Moral Lessons from Hell

Preface
	Reference
Acknowledgments
Contents
About the Author
Texts and Their Abbreviations
Chapter 1: Introduction
	References
Chapter 2: How Honor Degenerates Into Infamy: Piero della Vigna (1190–1249)
	2.1 The Ecstasy of Glory and the Horror of Improbity
	2.2 The Narrative in Inferno
	2.3 Sidebar on Posthumous Benefit
	2.4 Divergent Interpretations of the Narrative
	2.5 The Evidence
		2.5.1 The Nature of Hell and Pier’s Placement
		2.5.2 The Pilgrim’s Empathy in Canto Thirteen
		2.5.3 Virgil’s Response to the Pilgrim’s Empathy
		2.5.4 Compassion in Hell
			2.5.4.1	 Francesca da Rimini
			2.5.4.2	 Ciacco
			2.5.4.3	 Filippo Argenti
			2.5.4.4	 Farinata and Cavalcante
			2.5.4.5	 Brunetto Latini
			2.5.4.6	 Sorcerers
			2.5.4.7	 Bocca degli Abati
		2.5.5 Why Did Pier Take His Own Life?
		2.5.6 Frederick II
		2.5.7 Dante’s Letter
		2.5.8 Romeo and Piero
	2.6 A Second Version of Esoteric Interpretation
	2.7 An Outlier Version of Esoteric Interpretation
	References
Chapter 3: The Malevolent Residue of Excessive Loyalty: Piero, Esoterica, and Suicide
	3.1 A Closer Examination of the Second Version of Esoteric Interpretation
	3.2 Why Compose Esoterically?
	References
Chapter 4: How to Earn Immortality: Brunetto Latini (1220–1294)
	4.1 The Pain of Exile and Making Oneself Eternal
	4.2 The Narrative in Inferno
	4.3 Divergent Interpretations of the Narrative
	4.4 The Evidence
		4.4.1 The Imagery
		4.4.2 Initial Surprise
		4.4.3 Relative Walking Positions
		4.4.4 Denunciation of Florence
		4.4.5 Posthumous Glory
	4.5 Was Brunetto Latini a Sexual Sodomist?
	4.6 Brunetto Latini and BL
	4.7 The Roman Roots of the Quest for Posthumous Glory
	4.8 Has Dante Bum-Rapped Brunetto Latini?
	4.9 Grandezza d’Animo
	References
Chapter 5: The Glories and Iniquities of Heroism, Patriotism, and Paternal Love: Farinata degli Uberti (1212–1264) and Cavalcante de’ Cavalcanti (c. 1220–c. 1280)
	5.1 Partisan Patriotism Leavened by Hedonism
	5.2 The Narrative in Inferno
	5.3 Interpreting the Narrative: The Propinquity of Good and Evil
	5.4 Interpreting the Narrative: Epicureanism, Community, and Love
	References
Chapter 6: How Prodigious Talent Can Be Squandered: Guido da Montefeltro (1223–1298)
	6.1 Pugnacious Imperial Tactician and Franciscan Mountebank
	6.2 The Narrative in Inferno
	6.3 Interpreting the Narrative: Guido’s Final Scam?
	References
Chapter 7: Envy, Arrogance, Pride, and Human Flourishing
	7.1 Envy: An Analysis
	7.2 The Ubiquity of Envy
	7.3 Corollary on Well-Being
		7.3.1 Mental State Theory
		7.3.2 Desire Fulfillment Theories
		7.3.3 Objective List Theories
	7.4 Envy in the Commedia
	7.5 Pride: An Analysis
	7.6 Arrogance in the Commedia
	References
Appendix A: Selective Chronology of Historical Events
Appendix B: Short Background on Guelfs and Ghibellines
Appendix C: Dante’s Principle of Dual Governance
Bibliography
Index