Historical Inaccuracies in Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code

Mgr. Vladimír Nezdařil

Bakalářská práce

Anotace:

Bakalářská práce “The Da Vinci Code – historical and religious inaccuracy” analyzuje román The Da Vinci Code od Dana Browna. Hlavní část práce podrobně zkoumá, co je fakt a co je fikce ve vztahu k tématům Leonardo da Vinci and jeho díla Poslední večeře a Madona ve skalách, dále Nag Hammadi, Máří Magdaléna, Převorství sionské, Řád templářů, Opus Dei, Konstantin Veliký anebo koncil v Nicaea. Práce prezentuje odpověď na otázku proč se stal román tak kontroverzním a vzbudil tolik pozornosti.

Abstract:

The Bachelor thesis “The Da Vinci Code – historical and religious inaccuracy” analyzes the novel The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown. It provides basic information about the novel, the author and a brief plot overview. The main part of the thesis closely examines several aspects of the novel ranging from historical inaccuracies to purely Christian controversies. It ponders the history of Europe and Roman Catholic Church, essential aspects of Christianity and European art. It explores what is fiction and what is fact regarding the description of Leonardo da Vinci and his works The Last Supper and The Virgin of Rocks, Gnostic Gospels at Nag Hammadi, Mary Magdelene, Priory of Sion, the Knights Templar, the Catholic group Opus Dei, the emperor Constantine and the Council of Nicaea. The thesis provides scholarly opinions and interpretations of all these topics by several renowned academics and researchers and contrasts them to the claims made by Brown. The outcome is the level of trust the reader can invest into each topic. This thesis declares the novel cannot be trusted and refutes Brown’s claims of meticulous historical research. The thesis presents the answer to the question why the novel turned so controversial and why the novel was so widely discussed, attracted so much attention and stirred so many emotions.

Keywords

The Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown, historical inaccuracy, religious inaccuracy, Leonardo da Vinci, The Last Supper, The Virgin of Rocks, Gnostic Gospels, Nag Hammadi, Mary Magdelene, Priory of Sion, the Knights Templar, Opus Dei, Constantine, the Council of Nicaea

Jazyk práce: angličtina

Datum vytvoření / odevzdání či podání práce: 28. 4. 2009

Obhajoba závěrečné práce

• Obhajoba proběhla 12. 6. 2009
• Vedoucí: Mgr. Pavla Buchtová

Masarykova univerzita

Pedagogická fakulta

Bakalářský studijní program / obor:
Specializace v pedagogice / Lektorství cizího jazyka - anglický jazyk