Episódio zero: o prospecto

A 'Divina Comédia' é um poema narrativo escrito por Dante Alighieri entre 1308 e 1321. A obra é dividida em três partes — Inferno, Purgatório e Paraíso — e descreve a viagem alegórica da alma em direção a Deus. Dante, guiado inicialmente pelo poeta romano Virgílio e depois por Beatriz, atravessa os nove círculos do Inferno, os sete terraços do Purgatório e os nove céus do Paraíso, encontrando figuras históricas, mitológicas e religiosas, enquanto explora temas como pecado, arrependimento, justiça divina e redenção. Escrita em dialeto florentino, a obra ajudou a estabelecer o italiano como língua literária e é considerada uma das maiores realizações da literatura mundial.

Candide, written by Voltaire, is a satirical novel that critiques metaphysical optimism, particularly the philosophy of Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz. The story revolves around Candide, a naive and optimistic young man who is expelled from his home after an illicit affair with the baron's daughter, Cunégonde. Candide and his companions, including his tutor Pangloss, experience a series of horrific events such as wars, earthquakes, slavery, and other atrocities. Despite these hardships, Pangloss persists in his belief that 'all is for the best in this best of all possible worlds. ' The novel ultimately concludes with Candide and his friends settling on a farm in Turkey, where they find happiness by focusing on practical, everyday tasks rather than philosophical speculations. Voltaire uses satire to lampoon various aspects of 18th-century society, including science, philosophy, religion, and government.

Immanuel Kant's essay 'What is Enlightenment? ' defines Enlightenment as humanity's emergence from its self-imposed immaturity. Kant argues that people remain immature because they lack the courage to use their own understanding without guidance from others. He calls for individuals to 'dare to know' and to think for themselves, rather than blindly following tradition or authority. Kant emphasizes the importance of public reason, allowing individuals to freely express their thoughts and ideas in the public sphere. He believes that through the exercise of reason and the pursuit of knowledge, society can progress towards greater enlightenment.

Ítalo Calvino's 'Six Memos for the Next Millennium' is a collection of essays based on lectures Calvino was preparing to deliver at Harvard University before his death. In these essays, Calvino explores the literary values he believed would be essential for the future of literature. Each essay focuses on a specific quality: lightness, quickness, exactitude, visibility, and multiplicity. Calvino delves into the importance of these virtues in literature and their relevance to understanding the complexities of the modern world. The planned sixth lecture on consistency was never written, leaving the book with five insightful reflections.

Published in 1949, '1984' is a cautionary tale by George Orwell that explores the dangers of totalitarianism. The novel is set in a dystopian future where the world is divided into three super-states, with the protagonist Winston Smith living in Oceania, ruled by the mysterious and omnipotent leader Big Brother. Winston works at the Ministry of Truth, where he rewrites historical records to conform to the Party's ever-changing narrative. He begins an illicit love affair with Julia and starts to rebel against the Party, but they are eventually caught and subjected to brutal torture and indoctrination. The novel highlights themes of government surveillance, manipulation of language and history, and the suppression of individual freedom and independent thought.

The Decameron is a collection of novellas written by Giovanni Boccaccio, composed between 1349 and 1353. The book is structured as a frame story where ten young people (seven women and three men) escape the Black Death in Florence by retreating to a villa in the countryside. Over ten days, each member of the group tells a story, resulting in a total of 100 tales. The stories cover a wide range of themes, including love, fortune, wit, and deception. Boccaccio's work is notable for its humanistic perspective, emphasizing intelligence and wit over dogma, and it provides a vivid portrayal of contemporary urban society during the time of the plague. The Decameron has had a profound influence on Renaissance literature and continues to be a significant work in Italian literature.