The Divine Comedy

Inferno; Purgatorio; Paradiso

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The Divine Comedy

By: Dante Alighieri, Stephen Wyatt

Narrated by: Blake Ritson, David Warner, Full Cast, Hattie Morahan, John Hurt

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About this listen

Blake Ritson, David Warner, Hattie Morahan and John Hurt star in this BBC Radio 4 dramatisation of Dante's epic poem.

Inferno: Thirty-five year old Dante finds himself in the middle of a dark wood, in extreme personal and spiritual crisis. Hope of rescue appears in the form of the venerable poet Virgil, now a shade himself, who offers to lead Dante on an odyssey through the afterlife, beginning in the terrifying depths of Hell.

Purgatorio: Dante is led up Mount Purgatory by his guide. They encounter numerous souls who have embarked on the same difficult journey - one that will eventually lead to their spiritual salvation.

Paradiso: Dante's journey comes to a glorious conclusion as he is led by Beatrice, through the spheres of Paradise and into the presence of God himself. As they ascend, they encounter a number of souls who have also achieved blessedness.

Many years later, the older Dante reflects on the episodes from his life that have inspired his great poem.

©2014 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2014 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Dante AlighieriStephen WyattBlake RitsonDavid WarnerFull CastHattie MorahanJohn HurtBBC Digital Audio

Epic

Poetry

Themes & Styles

Funny

Epic Poetry Themes & Styles Funny

Critic reviews

In a glorious adaptation of The Divine Comedy, Stephen Wyatt takes a potshot at bankers, forced to sit forever on hot sands under fiery rain. (Moira Petty)

He’s done a remarkable job. Out go the cantos and rigid rhyming structures. In comes a flowing narrative that loses none of the evocative imagery of the original. And it does Wyatt’s case no harm that the three central characters — Dante the younger, Dante the elder and Virgil, his ghostly omnipresent guide through hell, purgatory and paradise — are played by Blake Ritson, John Hurt and David Warner. (Jane Anderson)

Most relevant

Just to say how much I enjoyed this and I'm sure you will too! I'm just starting to read Comedia and this provides a vivid summary of the overall work. Marvelous, yes iI. seeking out lectures and reading commentary , etc etc but nothing can prepare you for the genius of what Dante attempted and achieved in this work .. this dramatisation is a worthy precursor to reading and studying the work and an emotional tour de force ! sit back and enjoy!