Infernal Passions: Love, Sex, and Desire from Dante to Today
ITAL 217
Spring 2026
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01
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This course traces the explosive themes of love, sex, and desire in contemporary Italian cultural productions. At the heart of this exploration is Dante, whose Divine Comedy transformed personal passion into cosmic drama, making him a foundational voice in how desire, transgression, and redemption have been conceived and represented in Italian culture. His legacy serves as both a mirror and a provocation for today's artists, writers, and filmmakers. Each unit pairs Dante's verses with 20th- and 21st-century texts and cinematic works that engage in a dialogue about power, eroticism, and resistance -- exploring the tension between the sacred and the profane, the persistence of obsessive love, the commodification of sex, and the subversion of heteronormative desire. Tracing these echoes across time, we will uncover how Italian culture continuously redefines the politics of the body, gender, and sexuality. |
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| Credit: 1 |
Gen Ed Area Dept:
HA RLAN |
| Course Format: Seminar | Grading Mode: Graded |
| Level: UGRD |
Prerequisites: ITAL112 |
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Fulfills a Requirement for: None |
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Past Enrollment Probability: Not Available |
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