Dante’s Divine Comedy

Franziska Meier

Seven hundred years after its creation, Dante’s Divine Comedy still captivates people from all cultures and backgrounds. Everybody is somewhat familiar with it, you can find references everywhere, yet not that many of us really know or understand much about this masterpiece of world literature. Franziska Meier skillfully guides today’s readers through Dante’s description of the three realms of the afterlife. Why did he call it a comedy? Why does the walk among the dead at Easter in the year 1300 seem so realistic? What’s going on with the mysterious Beatrice? And did Dante actually come up with the idea for his work after reading about Muhammad’s ascension into heaven?