The Christian Regime of Literary Comfort: From Boethius to Dante

Taking its cue from two recent bibliotherapeutic publications on Dante (by Joseph Luzzi and Rod Dreher, respectively), the chapter tries to identify Dante’s central ideas on the consolatory effects of literature, which it takes as characteristic of the Christian regime of literary comfort. These ideas are illustrated in a reading of Purgatorio 2 (the Casella scene) and traced back to Dante’s fascination with Boethius’ De consolatione philosophiae, whose famous opening scene is also analysed: Lady Philosophy driving away the Muses of Poetry. The chapter also discusses Boethius and Dante’s interest in the figure of Orpheus, iconic consoler.