RHETORIC

The course is one of the integrative courses of the Master's degree course in Italian Philology, Linguistics and Literature and aims to provide an advanced knowledge of the discipline, dedicating particular attention to the Italian context in a time span between the Middle Ages and the present day.
Together with grammar, rhetoric is the longest-lived of the sciences dealing with language and its uses; in its long history, spanning more than two millennia, this discipline has alternated between moments of discredit, in which it has been associated with the idea of empty declamation or dusty pomposity, and phases of splendour, in which it has constituted one of the pillars of the European educational system. After the crisis it underwent in the 19th century, Rhetoric experienced a new fortune in the course of the 20th century, when this discipline was identified as the progenitor of pragmatics and textual linguistics and was refounded (in fact, one speaks of 'new rhetoric') as a general theory of argumentation, capable of offering analytical tools suited to the challenges of the world of communication. In accordance with the dual nature of the discipline, which embraces a set of doctrinal propositions and communicative practices, the course offers insights into historical moments and specific theoretical aspects, accompanied by exemplifications conducted on texts (literary and non-literary) belonging to different periods, authors, genres, traditions.

At the end of the course, students will acquire:
- a thorough knowledge of the fundamentals of the history and theory of rhetoric, including the most recent developments in the discipline
- a strengthening of the linguistic basis with which to interpret a text
- the ability to analyse a text from a rhetorical point of view, paying particular attention to the figural dimension, textual mechanisms and argumentative technique
- the ability to work independently on an assigned topic
- the ability to communicate in appropriate technical language the topics discussed in class.

Knowledge of the fundamentals of linguistics and linguistic and literary history, acquired through the basic linguistic and literary subjects of the three-year degree course in Literature.

Part I: Outlines of Rhetoric (Theory and History)
The first part of the course offers a critical and advanced presentation of the discipline, from both a historical and theoretical perspective, through a selection of texts and examples.

II part: "Speeches" in the "Divine Comedy"

In the second part, the focus will be on a collection of speeches in the "Divine Comedy," with particular attention to the first canticle (Guido da Montefeltro, Ugolino, Pier della Vigna, Brunetto Latini, Ulisse). The analysis will focus on argumentative devices and, more generally, on rhetorical strategies (linguistic and stylistic) that contribute to the realism of the situations, the credibility of the dialogues, and the mimetic connotation of the characters' speech.

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Rhetoric SP. is part of the OPTIONAL educational pathway entitled "Word and Power Between History and Literature."
This pathway consists, for this academic year, of the advanced courses in Roman Historiography (Prof. Rohr), Latin Text Analysis (Prof. Venuti), and Rhetoric. It offers an integrated learning experience through which students can engage at an advanced level with a broad and multifaceted theme—namely, the relationship between word and power—approached from different but interconnected perspectives. Students interested in following the shared pathway are required to choose at least two of the courses involved and to explore a theme or a text in depth, in agreement with the instructors.
Participants will present the outcome of this in-depth study in a report to be delivered during a final event, introduced by a guest lecture and open to all students and faculty of the Department of Humanities.

Part I. One textbook of your choice from the following:
- Maria Pia Ellero, Retorica. Guida all’argomentazione e alle figure del discorso, Roma, Carocci, 2024.
- Bice Mortara Garavelli, Manuale di retorica, Milano, Bompiani, 2018.
- Michele Prandi, Retorica. Una disciplina da rifondare, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2023.

Part II. b) Texts and bibliography related to the monographic course will be provided during the lessons and made available on the Moodle platform. In general, the following are recommended:

- A good annotated edition of the "Divine Comedy" (Chiavacci Leonardi, Bosco-Reggio, and, for the Inferno and Purgatorio, Bellomo).
- Paolo De Ventura, Dramma e dialogo nella "Commedia" di Dante, Naples, Liguori, 2007.
- Gérard Genette, Diegesis e mimesis, in Id., Figure 2. La parola letteraria, Torino, Einaudi.

An oral exam lasting (approximately) thirty minutes will test knowledge of the topics and texts examined in class and mastery of the reference bibliography.

oral

Assessment criteria:
A. scores in the 18-22 range will be awarded in the presence of:
- acceptable but barely or slightly more than adequate knowledge of the syllabus;
- limited text analysis skills and barely or little more than adequate expository and argumentative skills;
B. scores in the 23-26 range will be awarded in the presence of:
- fair knowledge of the examination syllabus;
- discrete text analysis and expository and argumentative skills (some inaccuracy in the use of discipline-specific language is noted);
C. scores in the 27-30 range and honors will be awarded in the presence of:
- good, very good or excellent knowledge of the syllabus;
- good excellent or excellent ability to analyze texts, exposition and argumentation, with full mastery of the technical language of the discipline (27-30) and personal critical contribution (30L).

Lectures and seminar presentations.