Corporeità e inconsistenza nelle ombre della Commedia: le istanze narrative e l'effetto sul lettore

Within the structure of the ‘poema sacro’, narrative is often subordinated by critics to other ideological issues deemed central to the poet’s intentions. This exegetical approach, which does not adequately take into account the diegetic instance, has led to inconclusive interpretations of many critical passages in the Commedia. Through the analysis of one of the most significant of these cases, the contradictory representation of the shadows in Dantean afterlife, which vary from being ‘solid’ to ‘empty’, this article aims to revalue the pivotal role of narrative. It is argued that, within the narrative, even the most glaring inconsistencies may find a synthesis by means of a cultural context that is not entirely defined, where plot inconsistencies are not perceived as problematic, and where the essential Christian doctrine allows room for innovation.