Riscritture dantesche dell'Ottocento. Cinque casi di studio

This research, titled Dantean Rewritings in the Nineteenth Century: Five Case Studies, examines five nineteenth-century works that reinterpret The Divine Comedy: Il Terzo Novissimo by Marco Antonio Marinelli (1826), La Profana Commedia by Cesare Masini (1844), L'Inferno della Tirannide and Il Purgatorio d'Italia by Bernardo Bellini (1865), and Il Paradiso di Dante Alighieri by Antonio Del Bon (1865). This study contributes to research on Dante's reception in the nineteenth century, highlighting the phenomenon of Dantean imitations and their relationship with literary tradition and the historical and cultural context of the time. The dissertation is structured into five chapters: four dedicated to the individual works and a final chapter that examines their common features. The introduction provides an overview of the state of research on Dante’s nineteenth-century reception and the imitations of the Commedia, while two appendices offer synopses of all the cantos and a paraphrase of one canto per work. To ensure an effective comparative analysis, Chapters I-IV follow a methodological framework encompassing the author’s biography, bibliographic context, paratextual elements, structure and general characteristics of the poem, relationship with Dante’s model, historical and cultural references, reception, and linguistic and stylistic analysis. This methodology has allowed for the identification of both commonalities and distinctive features in each rewriting, revealing aspects of Dante’s nineteenth-century reception that have remained largely unexplored. Chapter V identifies recurring elements across these works, focusing on: 1) the substitution of Dantean elements, in which characters and episodes from the Commedia are adapted or reinterpreted; 2) intertextual blending between cantos and canticles, demonstrating a free and creative engagement with Dante’s text; 3) linguistic archaism and imitation of Dante’s style, with particular attention to phonetic, morphological, and lexical aspects; 4) metrical patterns, including the systematic use of Dantean rhymes; 5) the use of similes, a central rhetorical device in these rewritings; 6) the ideological purpose, considering the motivations that led each author to reinterpret Dante’s masterpiece. Indeed, the objectives of these rewritings vary significantly. Marinelli adopts a conservative perspective and reimagines the Inferno through an ideological lens, placing proponents of modern thought among the damned. Masini creates a sharp satire targeting aspects of modern society, such as journalism and the rhetoric of progress. Bellini and Del Bon, who published their works to commemorate Dante’s 1865 centenary, employ their rewritings for patriotic and celebratory purposes, reinterpreting the Commedia within the framework of the Italian Risorgimento. Each author thus uses their rewriting as a medium for expressing their views on religion, politics, and Italian culture, transforming Dante’s Commedia into a tool for reflecting on nineteenth-century society. In conclusion, these five rewritings reveal a tension between fidelity to Dante’s model and creative freedom. While deeply rooted in the Commedia, these poems serve as compelling testimonies to the ways in which Dante was appropriated in the nineteenth century as a vehicle for personal and ideological expression. This research thus underscores not only the literary value of these works but also their contribution to Dante’s reception, offering new perspectives on the interplay between tradition and innovation in nineteenth-century Dantean rewritings.