The Tender Turn: Ambivalence toward Brunetto Latini and Homosexuality in Inferno XV
Mentor/s
Dr. June-Ann Greeley Prof. Joseph Nagy
Participation Type
Paper Talk
Abstract
This essay treats the ambiguity and conflicting moods present during Dante the pilgrim’s encounter with his old mentor, Brunetto Latini, who appears to have been sent to hell for being homosexual. This passage has been notoriously difficult to comprehensively explicate, such that even today discourse persists over Brunetto’s sin and Dante’s implications regarding it. From the end of Canto XIV through Canto XVI, the poet becomes especially ambiguous in his verse, and not just about the nature of the sin being punished here, but also regarding his own feelings on the matter. In light of these issues, I propose that Dante’s heightened ambiguity and lack of explanation in this canto could be representative of his own ambivalent views on the nature of homosexuality, particularly as they apply to Brunetto, and that Canto XV may be designed to stimulate readers into critically considering their own attitudes toward homosexuality.
College and Major available
English
Location
Panel H: Academic Building HC 110
Start Day/Time
4-24-2019 12:30 PM
End Day/Time
4-24-2019 1:45 PM
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 License.
Prize Categories
Most Scholarly Impact or Potential, Most Meaningful
The Tender Turn: Ambivalence toward Brunetto Latini and Homosexuality in Inferno XV
Panel H: Academic Building HC 110
This essay treats the ambiguity and conflicting moods present during Dante the pilgrim’s encounter with his old mentor, Brunetto Latini, who appears to have been sent to hell for being homosexual. This passage has been notoriously difficult to comprehensively explicate, such that even today discourse persists over Brunetto’s sin and Dante’s implications regarding it. From the end of Canto XIV through Canto XVI, the poet becomes especially ambiguous in his verse, and not just about the nature of the sin being punished here, but also regarding his own feelings on the matter. In light of these issues, I propose that Dante’s heightened ambiguity and lack of explanation in this canto could be representative of his own ambivalent views on the nature of homosexuality, particularly as they apply to Brunetto, and that Canto XV may be designed to stimulate readers into critically considering their own attitudes toward homosexuality.
Students' Information
Tyler Lascola, English major, Religious Studies minor, 2020