For anyone who understands Italian, I would recommend Alessandro Barbero's lecture on Dante - which covers his personality and life as well as the historical co

For anyone who understands Italian, I would recommend Alessandro Barbero's lecture on Dante - which covers his personality and life as well as the historical context. The Comedy can feel like a ponderous, unwieldy work, particularly as it progresses out of the "fun" of Inferno; keeping in mind the man who wrote it can help understanding and, in a way, cutting down some of the pretentiousness.