For over seven centuries, Dante and his masterpiece, The Divine Comedy, have held a special place in Western culture. The poem is at once a vivid journey through hell to heaven, a poignant love story, and a picture of humanity s relationship to God. It is so richly imaginative that a first reading can be bewildering. For over seven centuries, Dante and his masterpiece, The Divine Comedy, have held a special place in Western culture. The poem is at once a vivid journey through hell to heaven, a poignant love story, and a picture of humanity's relationship to God. It is so richly imaginative that a first reading can be bewildering. List of Illustrations.Acknowledgments.List of Abbreviations.Prologue: Invitation to a Reader.1 Dante s Life and Works.The Life Story.The Figure of Beatrice.Political Life.The Work of Exile.On Vernacular Eloquence and Philosophy for All.Universal Empire.The Birth of the Commedia.Vision or Brainstorm?.Textual Inspiration for the Poem.Early Circulation of the Poem.2 Dante s Journey to God.Inferno.Purgatorio.Paradiso.3 Dante s Beatrice.The Advent of Beatrice.The Problem of Beatrice.The Novelty of Beatrice.Bidding Adieu.Eros and Sex in the Commedia.Paolo and Francesca, Dante and Beatrice.Dante s Sexuality.A Beloved in the Flesh.4 Dante s Religion.Dante s Core Beliefs.Christian Florence.A Personal Faith Story.But Where is Christ?.The Christ of the Theologians.Mediations of Christ in the Commedia.Mary as Christ s Flesh.Daughter of Her Son.The Beatific Smile.5 Dante s Afterlife.Dante in English.From Beyond the Pale to Cultural Centrality.Twentieth Century Dante.The Artist s Dante.The Commedia in Performance: Drama, Film, Television.Postmodern Dante.Commedia in Comics.What Next?.Notes.Bibliography.Index.