Draft:Epistle to Cangrande
| Epistle to Cangrande | |
|---|---|
| Epistola a Cangrande | |
| Full title | Epistle XIII to Cangrande della Scala |
| Author(s) | Dante Alighieri |
| Dedicated to | Cangrande della Scala |
| Language | Latin |
| Authenticity | Disputed |
| Genre | Epistle |
| Subject | Meaning of the Divine Comedy |
The Epistle XIII to Cangrande della Scala (Italian: Epistola XIII a Cangrande della Scala) is a letter of disputed authenticity sent by Dante Alighieri to his patron, Cangrande I della Scala.[1][2]
Content[edit]
The letter is divided into two parts: A dedication and an exegesis of the Divine Comedy.[3]
Authenticity[edit]
...the paternity of the Epistle has been for some time a political football in Dante studies. It is a talismanic topic, and by revealing one's position with regard to the paternity of the Epistle, one potentially reveals a host of other vested interests and beliefs[4]: 140
The question of whether or not the Epistle is a forgery is controversial among Dante scholars. Scholars such as Bruno Nardi and Henry A. Kelly have argued against its authenticity, whereas scholars such as Francesco Mazzoni and Robert Hollander have argued that the document is authentic.[5][6] Academics Ralph G. Hall and Madison U. Sowell have claimed that American scholars are more likely to accept the Epistle as authentic while British and Italian scholars are more likely to consider it a forgery.[7]: 144 John Ciardi, who wrote a translation of the Divine Comedy, argued that the framework provided by the letter is useful regardless of its authenticity.[8] Dante scholar Teodolinda Barolini has described the Epistle as a red herring, writing that "frankly, I don't care if the Epistle is Dante's or not, since I think the answers that I seek regarding the poem are to be found in the poem itself."[4]: 143
In 2019, researchers for the Italian Istituto di Scienza e Tecnologie dell'Informazione attempted to use machine learning to determine authorship of the Epistle. Their results supported the theory that it was forged, however the authors noted that their study "should not be considered conclusive".[3]: 5
References[edit]
- ^ Hollander, Robert (1994). Dante's Epistle to Cangrande. Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Press. ISBN 978-0-472-10476-5.
- ^ Barański, Zygmunt G. (1991). "Comedía. Notes on Dante, the Epistle to Cangrande, and Medieval Comedy". Lectura Dantis (8): 26–55. ISSN 0897-5280.
- ^ a b Corbara, Silvia (2019). "The Epistle to Cangrande through the Lens of Computational Authorship Verification" (PDF). CEUR Workshop Proceedings.
- ^ a b Barolini, Teodolinda (1990). "For the Record: The Epistle to Cangrande and Various «American Dantisti»". Lectura Dantis (6): 140–143. ISSN 0897-5280.
- ^ "Epistle to Cangrande Updated | Dante Society". www.dantesociety.org. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
- ^ Izbicki, Thomas M. (1 July 1994). "94.07.03, Hollander, Dante's Epistle to Cangrande". The Medieval Review. ISSN 1096-746X.
- ^ Hall, Ralph G.; Sowell, Madison U. (1990). "On Dante and "Cursus": A Brief Response to «for the Record»". Lectura Dantis (6): 143–144. ISSN 0897-5280.
- ^ I don't have access to it rn but i'm like 90% sure he says this in his intro to the purgatorio