The Divine Comedy - J. Robert Oppenheimer's Favourite Books | 26reads

J. Robert Oppenheimer's Favourite Books

The Divine Comedy

Dante Alighieri

8 hrs to read

Contents

1 min

4 mins

Canto I - The Dark Forest. The Hill of Difficulty. The Panther, the Lion, and the Wolf. Virgil.

4 mins

Canto II - The Descent. Dante’s Protest and Virgil’s Appeal. The Intercession of the Three Ladies Benedight.

4 mins

Canto III - The Gate of Hell. The Inefficient or Indifferent. Pope Celestine V. The Shores of Acheron. Charon. The Earthquake and the Swoon.

4 mins

Canto IV - The First Circle, Limbo: Virtuous Pagans and the Unbaptized. The Four Poets, Homer, Horace, Ovid, and Lucan. The Noble Castle of Philosophy.

4 mins

Canto V - The Second Circle: The Wanton. Minos. The Infernal Hurricane. Francesca da Rimini.

4 mins

Canto VI - The Third Circle: The Gluttonous. Cerberus. The Eternal Rain. Ciacco. Florence.

3 mins

Canto VII - The Fourth Circle: The Avaricious and the Prodigal. Plutus. Fortune and her Wheel. The Fifth Circle: The Irascible and the Sullen. Styx.

4 mins

Canto VIII - Phlegyas. Philippo Argenti. The Gate of the City of Dis.

4 mins

Canto IX - The Furies and Medusa. The Angel. The City of Dis. The Sixth Circle: Heresiarchs.

4 mins

Canto X - Farinata and Cavalcante de’ Cavalcanti. Discourse on the Knowledge of the Damned.

4 mins

Canto XI - The Broken Rocks. Pope Anastasius. General Description of the Inferno and its Divisions.

3 mins

Canto XII - The Minotaur. The Seventh Circle: The Violent. The River Phlegethon. The Violent against their Neighbours. The Centaurs. Tyrants.

4 mins

Canto XIII - The Wood of Thorns. The Harpies. The Violent against themselves. Suicides. Pier della Vigna. Lano and Jacopo da Sant’ Andrea.

4 mins

Canto XIV - The Sand Waste and the Rain of Fire. The Violent against God. Capaneus. The Statue of Time, and the Four Infernal Rivers.

4 mins

Canto XV - The Violent against Nature. Brunetto Latini.

4 mins

Canto XVI - Guidoguerra, Aldobrandi, and Rusticucci. Cataract of the River of Blood.

4 mins

Canto XVII - Geryon. The Violent against Art. Usurers. Descent into the Abyss of Malebolge.

4 mins

Canto XVIII - The Eighth Circle, Malebolge: The Fraudulent and the Malicious. The First Bolgia: Seducers and Panders. Venedico Caccianimico. Jason. The Second Bolgia: Flatterers. Allessio Interminelli. Thais.

4 mins

Canto XIX - The Third Bolgia: Simoniacs. Pope Nicholas III. Dante’s Reproof of corrupt Prelates.

4 mins

Canto XX - The Fourth Bolgia: Soothsayers. Amphiaraus, Tiresias, Aruns, Manto, Eryphylus, Michael Scott, Guido Bonatti, and Asdente. Virgil reproaches Dante’s Pity. Mantua’s Foundation.

3 mins

Canto XXI - The Fifth Bolgia: Peculators. The Elder of Santa Zita. Malacoda and other Devils.

4 mins

Canto XXII - Ciampolo, Friar Gomita, and Michael Zanche. The Malabranche quarrel.

4 mins

Canto XXIII - Escape from the Malabranche. The Sixth Bolgia: Hypocrites. Catalano and Loderingo. Caiaphas.

4 mins

Canto XXIV - The Seventh Bolgia: Thieves. Vanni Fucci. Serpents.

4 mins

Canto XXV - Vanni Fucci’s Punishment. Agnello Brunelleschi, Buoso degli Abati, Puccio Sciancato, Cianfa de’ Donati, and Guercio Cavalcanti.

4 mins

Canto XXVI - The Eighth Bolgia: Evil Counsellors. Ulysses and Diomed. Ulysses’ Last Voyage.

4 mins

Canto XXVII - Guido da Montefeltro. His deception by Pope Boniface VIII.

4 mins

Canto XXVIII - The Ninth Bolgia: Schismatics. Mahomet and Ali. Pier da Medicina, Curio, Mosca, and Bertrand de Born.

4 mins

Canto XXIX - Geri del Bello. The Tenth Bolgia: Alchemists. Griffolino d’ Arezzo and Capocchino.

4 mins

Canto XXX - Other Falsifiers or Forgers. Gianni Schicchi, Myrrha, Adam of Brescia, Potiphar’s Wife, and Sinon of Troy.

4 mins

Canto XXXI - The Giants, Nimrod, Ephialtes, and Antaeus. Descent to Cocytus.

4 mins

Canto XXXII - The Ninth Circle: Traitors. The Frozen Lake of Cocytus. First Division, Caina: Traitors to their Kindred. Camicion de’ Pazzi. Second Division, Antenora: Traitors to their Country. Dante questions Bocca degli Abati. Buoso da Duera.

4 mins

Canto XXXIII - Count Ugolino and the Archbishop Ruggieri. The Death of Count Ugolino’s Sons. Third Division of the Ninth Circle, Ptolomaea: Traitors to their Friends. Friar Alberigo, Branco d’ Oria.

5 mins

Canto XXXIV - Fourth Division of the Ninth Circle, the Judecca: Traitors to their Lords and Benefactors. Lucifer, Judas Iscariot, Brutus, and Cassius. The Chasm of Lethe. The Ascent.

4 mins

Canto I - The Shores of Purgatory. The Four Stars. Cato of Utica. The Rush.

4 mins

Canto II - The Celestial Pilot. Casella. The Departure.

4 mins

Canto III - Discourse on the Limits of Reason. The Foot of the Mountain. Those who died in Contumacy of Holy Church. Manfredi.

4 mins

Canto IV - Farther Ascent. Nature of the Mountain. The Negligent, who postponed Repentance till the last Hour. Belacqua.

4 mins

Canto V - Those who died by Violence, but repentant. Buonconte di Monfeltro. La Pia.

4 mins

Canto VI - Dante’s Inquiry on Prayers for the Dead. Sordello. Italy.

4 mins

Canto VII - The Valley of Flowers. Negligent Princes.

4 mins

Canto VIII - The Guardian Angels and the Serpent. Nino di Gallura. The Three Stars. Currado Malaspina.

4 mins

Canto IX - Dante’s Dream of the Eagle. The Gate of Purgatory and the Angel. Seven P’s. The Keys.

4 mins

Canto X - The Needle’s Eye. The First Circle: The Proud. The Sculptures on the Wall.

4 mins

Canto XI - The Humble Prayer. Omberto di Santafiore. Oderisi d’ Agobbio. Provenzan Salvani.

4 mins

Canto XII - The Sculptures on the Pavement. Ascent to the Second Circle.

4 mins

Canto XIII - The Second Circle: The Envious. Sapia of Siena.

4 mins

Canto XIV - Guido del Duca and Renier da Calboli. Cities of the Arno Valley. Denunciation of Stubbornness.

4 mins

Canto XV - The Third Circle: The Irascible. Dante’s Visions. The Smoke.

4 mins

Canto XVI - Marco Lombardo. Lament over the State of the World.

4 mins

Canto XVII - Dante’s Dream of Anger. The Fourth Circle: The Slothful. Virgil’s Discourse of Love.

4 mins

Canto XVIII - Virgil further discourses of Love and Free Will. The Abbot of San Zeno.

4 mins

Canto XIX - Dante’s Dream of the Siren. The Fifth Circle: The Avaricious and Prodigal. Pope Adrian V.

4 mins

Canto XX - Hugh Capet. Corruption of the French Crown. Prophecy of the Abduction of Pope Boniface VIII and the Sacrilege of Philip the Fair. The Earthquake.

4 mins

Canto XXI - The Poet Statius. Praise of Virgil.

4 mins

Canto XXII - Statius’ Denunciation of Avarice. The Sixth Circle: The Gluttonous. The Mystic Tree.

4 mins

Canto XXIII - Forese. Reproof of immodest Florentine Women.

4 mins

Canto XXIV - Buonagiunta da Lucca. Pope Martin IV, and others. Inquiry into the State of Poetry.

4 mins

Canto XXV - Discourse of Statius on Generation. The Seventh Circle: The Wanton.

4 mins

Canto XXVI - Sodomites. Guido Guinicelli and Arnaldo Daniello.

4 mins

Canto XXVII - The Wall of Fire and the Angel of God. Dante’s Sleep upon the Stairway, and his Dream of Leah and Rachel. Arrival at the Terrestrial Paradise.

4 mins

Canto XXVIII - The River Lethe. Matilda. The Nature of the Terrestrial Paradise.

4 mins

Canto XXIX - The Triumph of the Church.

4 mins

Canto XXX - Virgil’s Departure. Beatrice. Dante’s Shame.

4 mins

Canto XXXI - Reproaches of Beatrice and Confession of Dante. The Passage of Lethe. The Seven Virtues. The Griffon.

4 mins

Canto XXXII - The Tree of Knowledge. Allegory of the Chariot.

4 mins

Canto XXXIII - Lament over the State of the Church. Final Reproaches of Beatrice. The River Eunoe.

4 mins

Canto I - The Ascent to the First Heaven. The Sphere of Fire.

4 mins

Canto II - The First Heaven, the Moon: Spirits who, having taken Sacred Vows, were forced to violate them. The Lunar Spots.

4 mins

Canto III - Piccarda Donati and the Empress Constance.

4 mins

Canto IV - Questionings of the Soul and of Broken Vows.

4 mins

Canto V - Discourse of Beatrice on Vows and Compensations. Ascent to the Second Heaven, Mercury: Spirits who for the Love of Fame achieved great Deeds.

4 mins

Canto VI - Justinian. The Roman Eagle. The Empire. Romeo.

4 mins

Canto VII - Beatrice’s Discourse of the Crucifixion, the Incarnation, the Immortality of the Soul, and the Resurrection of the Body.

4 mins

Canto VIII - Ascent to the Third Heaven, Venus: Lovers. Charles Martel. Discourse on diverse Natures.

4 mins

Canto IX - Cunizza da Romano, Folco of Marseilles, and Rahab. Neglect of the Holy Land.

4 mins

Canto X - The Fourth Heaven, the Sun: Theologians and Fathers of the Church. The First Circle. St. Thomas of Aquinas.

4 mins

Canto XI - St. Thomas recounts the Life of St. Francis. Lament over the State of the Dominican Order.

4 mins

Canto XII - St. Buonaventura recounts the Life of St. Dominic. Lament over the State of the Franciscan Order. The Second Circle.

4 mins

Canto XIII - Of the Wisdom of Solomon. St. Thomas reproaches Dante’s Judgement.

4 mins

Canto XIV - The Third Circle. Discourse on the Resurrection of the Flesh. The Fifth Heaven, Mars: Martyrs and Crusaders who died fighting for the true Faith. The Celestial Cross.

4 mins

Canto XV - Cacciaguida. Florence in the Olden Time.

4 mins

Canto XVI - Dante’s Noble Ancestry. Cacciaguida’s Discourse of the Great Florentines.

4 mins

Canto XVII - Cacciaguida’s Prophecy of Dante’s Banishment.

4 mins

Canto XVIII - The Sixth Heaven, Jupiter: Righteous Kings and Rulers. The Celestial Eagle. Dante’s Invectives against ecclesiastical Avarice.

4 mins

Canto XIX - The Eagle discourses of Salvation, Faith, and Virtue. Condemnation of the vile Kings of A.D. 1300.

4 mins

Canto XX - The Eagle praises the Righteous Kings of old. Benevolence of the Divine Will.

4 mins

Canto XXI - The Seventh Heaven, Saturn: The Contemplative. The Celestial Stairway. St. Peter Damiano. His Invectives against the Luxury of the Prelates.

4 mins

Canto XXII - St. Benedict. His Lamentation over the Corruption of Monks. The Eighth Heaven, the Fixed Stars.

4 mins

Canto XXIII - The Triumph of Christ. The Virgin Mary. The Apostles. Gabriel.

4 mins

Canto XXIV - The Radiant Wheel. St. Peter examines Dante on Faith.

4 mins

Canto XXV - The Laurel Crown. St. James examines Dante on Hope. Dante’s Blindness.

4 mins

Canto XXVI - St. John examines Dante on Charity. Dante’s Sight. Adam.

4 mins

Canto XXVII - St. Peter’s reproof of bad Popes. The Ascent to the Ninth Heaven, the ‘Primum Mobile.’

4 mins

Canto XXVIII - God and the Angelic Hierarchies.

4 mins

Canto XXIX - Beatrice’s Discourse of the Creation of the Angels, and of the Fall of Lucifer. Her Reproof of Foolish and Avaricious Preachers.

4 mins

Canto XXX - The Tenth Heaven, or Empyrean. The River of Light. The Two Courts of Heaven. The White Rose of Paradise. The great Throne.

4 mins

Canto XXXI - The Glory of Paradise. Departure of Beatrice. St. Bernard.

4 mins

Canto XXXII - St. Bernard points out the Saints in the White Rose.

4 mins

Canto XXXIII - Prayer to the Virgin. The Threefold Circle of the Trinity. Mystery of the Divine and Human Nature.

4 mins

Appendix - Six Sonnets on Dante's Divine Comedy by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807 - 1882)

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