Sympathy for Aeneas

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  • Sympathy for Aeneas
    • Sympathetic
      • Roman Audience
        • Dido curses him and his future generations
        • Controls his emotions and pain - 'struggled to fight down the anguish in his heart.'
          • Shows self-control
        • Sacrifices himself to fate and duty towards his son. Slave of fate, has to follow advice
          • 'with many a groan and with a heart shaken by his great love, he nevertheless carried out the commands of the gods'
        • Oak tree simile - the roots are his duty, the leaves are his love for Dido, the wind is Dido's passion and love.
          • 'his mind remained unmoved and the tears rolled in vain'
        • Hes an exile
        • Anger of Juno
        • We meet Aeneas as he is suffering
          • He's pious - no need for his suffering, should not be punished for this
        • used by Goddess - not his fault that Dido suffers as a result
      • Modern Audience
        • He stays with her for a year, gives affection and cares for her.
        • Wants to console Dido and 'take away her pain'
        • Isolated by his suffering; 'he showed them the face of hope and kept his misery deep in his heart'
        • Aeneas has already lost one love, Creusa, he loses Dido swell
        • Aeneas = 'against my will that i left your shore'
    • Not sympathetic
      • Roman Audience
        • Neglects his duty, stays with her for a year and dresses like a Carthaginian.
          • 'without a thought for the cities granted to him by the Fates'
        • Could associate Aeneas with Mark Anthony. Reminds of Anthony's betrayal.
        • Not honourable to Dido. Disregards her feelings.
        • King Iarbus labels Aeneas a 'second Paris' reminds the Roman reader of their defeat at Troy and the cause of it.
        • First impression of him, he seems quite weak
          • 'groaning'
          • 'his limbs went weak'
      • Modern Audience
        • Goes behind Dido's back as he prepares to leave, prepares the ships. Dido finds out through rumour and is heartbroken .
          • A cowardly act
        • Detaches himself from her as she begs him to stay 'never be sorry to remember Dido while I remember myself'
        • 'my first concern would be to tend the city of Troy, those of my dear people who survived' = cold hearted, insensitive to her feelings.
        • 'No griefs moved Aeneas' = heartless
        • Unheroic first impression - 'groaning' , 'his limbs went weak'

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