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=='''Authors'''==

=='''Authors'''==

Many authors produced influential literary works during the Renaissance.  [[Dante]] was the writer whose works some historians date as marking the beginning of the Renaissance, and he is called the father of the Renaissance.  He was an Italian writer who wrote in the [[vernacular]], or common language, so his works gained popularity among ordinary people as well as scholars.  His most famous work is [[The Divine Comedy]], which describes in vivid detail the author’s journey through hell (''Inferno''), purgatory (''Purgatorio'') and heaven (''Paradiso'').  Although called a “comedy”, the book is anything but funny.  This is because Dante was using the classical meaning of “comedy”, in which a story is not necessarily humorous, but ends happily and according to the divine will of God.  In The Divine Comedy, Dante blends [[Greek philosophy]] with Christian theology, in the tradition of [[Thomas Aquinas]].  Dante’s guide through Hell is Virgil, and the greatest sinners present in Hell are [[Judas Iscariot]] (Jesus’ betrayer) and [[Brutus]] (Caesar’s betrayer).

Many authors produced influential literary works during the Renaissance.  [[Dante]] was the writer whose works some historians date as marking the beginning of the Renaissance, and he is called the father of the Renaissance.  He was an Italian writer who wrote in the [[vernacular]], or common language, so his works gained popularity among ordinary people as well as scholars.  His most famous work is [[The Divine Comedy]], which describes in vivid detail the author’s journey through <b><span style="color:red;font-size:36pt">HELL</span></b> (''Inferno''), purgatory (''Purgatorio'') and heaven (''Paradiso'').  Although called a “comedy”, the book is anything but funny.  This is because Dante was using the classical meaning of “comedy”, in which a story is not necessarily humorous, but ends happily and according to the divine will of God.  In The Divine Comedy, Dante blends [[Greek philosophy]] with Christian theology, in the tradition of [[Thomas Aquinas]].  Dante’s guide through <b><span style="color:red;font-size:36pt">HELL</span></b> is Virgil, and the greatest sinners present in <b><span style="color:red;font-size:36pt">HELL</span></b> are [[Judas Iscariot]] (Jesus’ betrayer) and [[Brutus]] (Caesar’s betrayer).

Along with Dante, [[Francesco Petrarch]] (1304-1374) is considered a father of the Renaissance.  He wrote beautiful poetry in Italian, but his books were written in Latin.  His works and their focus on the classical philosophers inspired the humanism of the Renaissance.   

Along with Dante, [[Francesco Petrarch]] (1304-1374) is considered a father of the Renaissance.  He wrote beautiful poetry in Italian, but his books were written in Latin.  His works and their focus on the classical philosophers inspired the humanism of the Renaissance.