Finished Outlining Dante’s Inferno. Now working on the Purgatorio…

I’m reading all the reference stuff there is. I’m working through wiki first to get the basic story lines and then I will use the Penn State Library system for more information.

Here’s what I learned today: Cato the Younger was Julius Caesar’s foil in life. (More of in the terms of rivals) “Caesar was praised for his mercy, compassion, and generosity, while Cato for his discipline, rigidity, and moral integrity.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cato_the_Younger – how Cato dies is something I’d would read. This was my thought process, “No way. No one in their right mind would do that!”

I’m really in for Quentin Tarantino for doing a modern day (or 80s) Julius Caesar. Just think about it.

What I learned to be most startling was that Dante didn’t know Beatrice all that well. They only met twice. La Vita Nuova written by Dante was a love poem to her… She died very young too at the age of 24 in 1290 and she was married to another man.

Dante and Beatrice hardly knew each other! Unrequited love was apparently was the highest form of flattery back then.

Ummmmmmmmmmmmmm, Dante could have just asked her out. What did they do back then in Florence for dates?

Another thing, I didn’t know William Blake was painter either.

Virgil and Dante entering Hell’s Gates. ftp://ftp.icm.edu.pl/vol/rzm1/cgfa/blake/p-blake7.htm

The things you learn!