MyHumanitiesStudio Exercises


1			The Gothic Cathedral (pp. 157-165) Architecture > Space > Open > Open Space/Enclosed Space http://www.mhhe.com/HumanitiesStudio/2/2/3.html Chartres Cathedral is a landmark of Gothic architecture. Examine its exterior (Figs. 16.23-16.25) and its interior (Figs. 16.21, 16.25). What feelings does the cathedral seem to be meant to elicit among its visitors? What architectural techniques does it use to evoke those feelings? What theological messages does Chartres contain in its very structure? Considering the size of the building, the number of hands that contributed to its construction, and the number of persons that it could contain, what does the cathedral's construction suggest about late medieval views of religion and society? What features distinguish Chartres from Romanesque churches like Saint-Sernin at Toulouse (Figs. 6.11-6.13)?




2			Dante's Divine Comedy (pp. 148-150) Literature > Setting > Time/Location http://www.mhhe.com/HumanitiesStudio/5/4/1.html Dante's Divine Comedy is arguably the greatest work of literature to emerge from the medieval period. Beyond its technical accomplishments, the epic poem is noteworthy for its effective imaginative rendering of Heaven, Purgatory, and especially Hell in the most famous book of the Commedia, "Inferno." What techniques does Dante use to make the horrors of the Inferno seem real? What does his use of first-person narration add to the immediacy of the poem? How does Dante's mystical vision compare with those of Hildegard (p. 146)? Why might Dante's have had a more lasting influence on Western culture? How does Dante's theological vision compare with that expressed in the artwork of medieval cathedrals (see Figs. 6.14-6.15, 6.22, and 6.25)? What aspects of Christian religion seemed to be most effective to medieval audiences?

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