Nov
10
2008
Perhaps the best example of vengence in the Aeneid is during the final lines of the poem where Aeneas, having decided to spare Turnus’s life changes his mind when he is reminded of how Pallas was slain, and Turnus wears Pallas’s belt as a trophy, but also as a constant reminder to Aeneas of his fallen friend. He can’t just sit idly by and allw Pallas’s death to go unavenged, it would be doing a great dishonor to his memory to do nothing. During the final battle scene Turnus pleas for mercy from Aeneas, and Aeneas is momentarily moved by this, until he sees the belt and his rage consumes him once more. In his fury Aeneas takes his sword and drives it into Turnus, killing him instantly. Dido’s suicide is another, perhaps more unlikley, and less noble, act of vengeance, but with it she is seeking revenge on Aeneas by leaving him with a curse. The Harpies act with vengence towards Aeneas when he murders their livestock. In fact, in the world of the gods, most of the power struggles that occur between them are motivated by revenge. When Juno lashes out on the Trojans and Venus she is driven by the memory of Paris’s judgement of Venus as the fairest goddess, her shattered vanity drives her to anger. Furthermore, while Aeneas strives to achieve his destiny, and this quest drives him through the entire epic, Juno acts as an opposing force, the force of chaos, seeking to quell his journey at every turn.
Throughout the epic uncontrollable anger and vengence threatens to undo Aeneas’s fate, as all the characters aroung him harbor ill will towards one another. In the final scene Aeneas himself succombs to fury in his final battle with Turnus. In making this theme so common in the poem Virgil is perhaps trying to comment on the current state of affiars in Rome, and perhaps more specifically the struggle between Marcus Antony and Julius Caeasar. In Julius Caeasar, Caeasar must defeat Antony in order to assume his role as leader of rome, to assume his destiny as a great roman leader.
Nov
10
2008
Throughout the Aeneid a type of darkness can be traced. The first sign of darkness is in the beginning when Aeneas encounters Helen in Troy and has a strong desire to kill her for her involvement. Originally Aeneas is able to control his fury and not kill Helen. Later he had to be told to go and find his family and leave instead of continuing to try and continue fighting. Even when he is fleeing he can’t prevent the effect of darkness on his family. Somewhere he actually loses and cannot find his wife. Aeneas continues on yet the darkness follows him and his people on their journey. When Aeneas encounters Dido they are made to fall in love which normally would not seem to be a type of darkness, however, Aeneas is forced to continue his journey and Dido is left heartbroken and in fury. She kills herself and curses Aeneas, not even forgiving him in the afterlife. Towards the end of the epic Juno sends a fury to arouse the anger in Amata and Turnus. Their anger leads to a chaotic war. Even when Aeneas and Turnus are prepared to put an end to the fighting in a battle between them, a sign is sent that evokes the men of Turnus to begin the battle with even more rage. This war continues until the very last sentences of the epic where it ends in death. Aeneas with anger and fury kills Turnus. The foundations of the Roman Empire were created through darkness and war that followed.
Nov
10
2008
Ricky and Erin:
From the beginning of the Aeneid, Juno and Turnus are the dark characters turning normality into chaos. Juno, who has a personal vendetta against the Trojan race, does everything in her power to prevent Aeneas from founding Rome, until the end. While Turnus is set on destroying Aeneas and his forces because Aeneas was courting Latinus’ daughter. Meanwhile the “good” characters are Aeneas, Venus, Dido, and Latinus. Aeneas leads his battle-weary Trojans across the Mediterranean to find a new home and build a new empire. Venus, Aeneas’ mother, watches over the Trojans and does everything she can to protect him and his people from Juno’s wrath. Dido is the popular queen of Carthage, who has the loyalty and love of her people. Latinus is the king of the Latins, who has bravely led his people throughout the years. As the story progresses, the chaos instilled upon the characters leads to role reversals. Towards the end, Juno decides to show mercy to Aeneas and allow his people to build their empire. Turnus was sent away on a ship and while aboard the queen, Amata, commits suicide and he loses the will to fight. However, Aeneas is set on fury and rage and kills Turnus despite his begging to let him live. Venus’ actions result in the death of many, including the suicide of Dido. Dido gives into temptation with Aeneas and as a result forgets the responsibilities of being queen, she later kills herself when Aeneas leaves her. Latinus becomes lazy as the war goes on and loses control of his entire kingdom shortly after. In the end, the chaos and fury throughout the novel changes the characters for the worse in most cases and allows for the “darkness” to prevail. This is a moment of foreshadowing by Virgil to show what the Roman Empire is based on. The Romans were blood-hungry and ready to kill at a moments notice, much like Aeneas at the end of the Aeneid. The Roman Empire was built upon death and world domination, which is shown in the Aeneid through Aeneas’ actions, especially during the war.
Nov
10
2008
Of the moments of darkness in the Aeneid, the first that really emerges is Dido’s wrath – when she kills herself, and later when he encounters her in the Underworld. Then the darkness raises its head again later on in the story, around book seven – Juno sends a Fury to the Latin people, raising their anger against the Trojans. The king of the Latins is forced to wage war against the Trojans, even if he does not wish to. And, as they march to war, Venus appears to Aeneas and presents him with weapons that will increase his advantage – these weapons, while good for his fighting skills, seem to seal his fate as a warrior. Also, on the shield are images of the Glories of Rome – the raising of Remus and Romulus, the triumph of Augustus Caesar, and so forth. And while it seems to be a good thing, showing what he will gain with this battle, it also irrivocably ties the foundation of Rome, and all of the glories that awaits it, with war and death. From this point forward in the epic, the story becomes entirely about war between the Trojans and the Latins, and these images, while allegidly looking forward to a new time of hope, also are present to remind us that they cannot be gotten without excessive blood and death. And then, when Pallas dies… that is when Aeneas goes insane; the rage he feels is expressed horrifyingly well through battle. Even when people beg for mercy, Aeneas slaughters them, thinking only of finding and killing the man who slew Pallas. Juno’s wrath is unending -darkness rears it head and smiles at this point in the narrative.
Rage is a significant theme established in the Aenied which is then mirrored throughout Roman history. Rome had just finished the long civil war upon the completion of the Aenied. Virgil’s inspiration for the character of his narrative’s hero not only had to be rooted in the Greek tradition (a great deal of the Roman society drew from the traditions of the Greeks, including their epics) but had to reflect current Roman influences as well. Marcus Antonius had just been defeated by Augustus Caesar who held a strong and firm rule over Rome. Because Aeneus is basically a propaganda piece written by Virgil to help boost Augustus’s publicity rating, his tactics for gaining rule had to be reflected and admired in this “history” of the founding of Rome. Virgil was basically trying to assure the Roman people that Caesar’s method was the correct method.
-Laura Page and Caitlin Murphy
Nov
10
2008
We believe that in the Aeneid the theme of anger, rage, and fury threatens the overall course of the epic. Throughout the epic we see how fury and wrath lead to a change in events that seems to be chaotic at frist glance, but eventually plays out to be the fatum of the epic. Dido’s anger with Aeneas causes her to kill herself and therefore alter the course of events. It would seem that her act was a chaotic and impulsive, but her suicide made it possible for her to be in the underworld when Aeneas visits it and to profoundly affect him as a developing character.
The rage of the travel-weary women of his group also had an affect on the fatum of the epic because they tried to burn down the ships, and along with his father dying, this only invigorated Aeneas to keep going on his journey.
Aeneas was going to spare Turnus, but seeing Pallas’ belt oh his shoulder made him slip into a rage so he killed Turnus. The anger he experienced had an affect on the course of events, but not in a chaotic way, in a particular path set out and predetermined as fatum.
Vergil’s epic criticizes the Roman empire by showing how rage and wrath lead to a chaotic string of events that turn out to be a set path for the Empire. We believe this is so because so many emperors killed others and conspired in order to become the Emperor, and many acts of revenge affected the long history of Rome.
Mary Cait, Alyssa, Valerie
Nov
10
2008
Lauren & Elena
What moments in the narrative can you see the wrath threatening to turn order into chaos and how does the theme of wrath threaten disorder? Does the chaos prevail throught the future of Roman history?
Dido- in the real world she burns everything that reminds her of Aeneas, then kills herself and in the underworld she refuses to speak with Aeneas
Turnus – leads his people to war against Aeneas, who he hates because it was phrophesized that lavinia would marry a foriegner, Juno joins his cause
Aeneas-kills Turnus after almost granting mercy, but does not because of the the death of Pallas and for avenging him
so overall, all of Rome’s leaders succumb to fury and wrath so the roman future is destined to fall into chaos at the hands of fury.
Nov
10
2008
What other characters experience this fury? When does this darkness come to light?
Turnus- When the enemy mocks him, or when the enemy gained the upper hand Turnus becomes enraged. He didn’t used to be so temperamental but after Levinia is given by the Gods to Aeneas to being the new Roman race, he becomes filled with hate.
Dido- Dido succumbs to her own darkness by taking her own life. After Aeneas leaves her she is so mad that she tells Anna to start a fire in order for her to burn his things. However, this fire is really meant to be her funeral pyre. When he leaves she can no longer bear to live so she ends up stabbing herself. She lets her darkness overcome her and ends up in hell.
And why is it significant that Aeneas succumbs to this in the very end?
Aeneas was portrayed at a merciful and decent man throughout the book, but then war and the lives of those that he loved were taken away from him and made him bitter overtime. He had to lose people that he cared about twice in both the Trojan War the War against Turnus. The death of Pallas was the turning point that led him to be succumb by this fury. He is overwhelmed at this time by revenge and anger.
What does this mean about the Roman world?
Civil war is going on in the story and also in Rome, a civil war that helps Augustus get to the position that he desires. Both Aeneas and Augusts kill their fellow countrymen as the aspire to become rules of great civilizations.