I have a different translation with similar amounts of foot notes. The first time, I read them all because it was school (just the Inferno). However, if your translation is like mine, the purpose is to explain what you might not understand or give a bit of background to characters there.

I'd say they are optional. When you find something confusing, then read them.

Do what makes you happiest! A good rule of thumb is checking the footnotes when you find yourself feeling curious.

You’re never going to understand every reference or cultural meaning. I’d argue even scholars can’t do that. So your happiness and what fulfills you is most important. Learning is good, but so is becoming immersed in the story

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The last time that I was in the same situation, I a) started going to them after the chapter or Canto. And then b) just flipped through and looked for the long ones and ended up just reading them. That is how I learned about the Harrowing of Hell.

I read the lines til a stopping point, or the entire verse, then go back and read the notes. They provide cool background info, or why a word choice was made because translators have to fudge the language sometimes. Dont try to stop in the middle of a sentence for the notations, itll screw up your ability to understand the story

I’m reading it for the second time in a row, the first time I just read it without notes. My second and slower read I’m reading the notes for a canto or two and then reading the cantos.

I could go either way with reading them or not. I find having read Homer and Virgil and knowing a good amount of history to be of more informational value than the notes anyways. I don’t mind breaking immersion with the text possibly because I don’t find it all that immersive. I do enjoy it though.

Note: Mine has endnotes, without notations in the text of what has an endnotes. The endnotes refer back to the line. So no chance I would read them as I go lol.

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