Aeneus’ Emotional Rollercoaster Essay, Research Paper

Many scholars criticize the -Aeneid as being an interpretation of the Odyssey and Iliad through the eyes a Roman writer. Although similar events occur accompanied by familiar characters, Virgil does not utilize the same writing style of Homer. Virgil’s writing represents a more sophisticated art of writing reflective of the time period. Aeneus’ character does not share the same features of the Odysseus. Aeneus lacks the wits and leadership that Odysseus had. Aeneus molding into a leader occurred over the span of the book where as Odysseus was almost godlike. In contrast to Odysseus, Aeneus is a more sophisticated character that extracts many emotions from the reader. His adventures are generic but his actions and reactions are original. Aeneus takes us from his burning home to the underworld to the shores of Italy demonstrating unanticipated passions and feelings. During this journey of endurance, Aeneus actions and surrounding actions in rage the reader, while also withdrawing pity and the satisfaction of justice.

A reader can start to sense feelings of hatred towards a character, but lack of such emotion would be robbing Aeneus of his satisfaction. When Aeneus retells the loss of his wife, Creusa, he says, “She alone failed her friends, her child, her husband.” (A, II, 963-64). Aeneus shows no sorrow for losing her, but blames her for not being next to his side. Although Aeneus made his wife follow him, she is to blame for not making it out of Troy. His insensitivity shown through the loss of his wife characterizes his feelings about woman that love him. She loved him for so long and he can’t feel sad or shattered. A wife for so long, he can’t keep track of her when he should be following her making sure the family is safe. His lack of concern about his wife shows how much of a cad he is and presents reason for hating him. Also Mercury convinces Aeneus to leave Dido, so he tells his men to “Get the fleet ready for sea / But quietly ” (Aeneid, IV, 394-95). The idea of being a lower person in stature terrifies Aeneid. He is thinking more about his ego then the woman he will hurt. Leaving Dido unannounced makes Aeneid a bastard for entering a pact and not respecting it. Aeneus’ flight from Dido characterizes selfness and insolence, which any reader would be in raged over. In addition, Aeneus becomes more heartbreaking by telling Dido that he “never held the torches of a bridegroom, / Never entered upon the pact of marriage” (A, IV, 467-68). Aeneus is denying the fact that he ever married Dido. To deny something that Dido believes so deeply in crushes her spirit. The marriage took place under false pretenses. Dido thought Aeneus loved her as much as she loved him. The seriousness in which Aeneus denies the vows, the spirit, and ceremony shocks Dido. Even though Aeneus is only trying to leave, he doesn’t have to destroy the spirit of Dido. This act of cruelty, which leads to suicide, causes the reader to believe that Aeneus is truly a heartless man who should be punished for this injustice.

Even though Aeneus represents the future leader of Rome, he cannot escape punishment for his actions. As the ships were docked at Sicily, the women finally cracked and took up “dry foliage, brush, and brands to throw.” (A, V, 855). Traveling on a ship for seven years does not appeal to women. Since they lost a home, they would like to settle down somewhere and rebuild. The acts of burning the ships are more than an expression of rage or passion; it represents a punishment from the female species as a whole for Aeneus’ previous actions towards his past wives. The lack of respect he showed Dido and lack of concern her showed for Creusa have come back to haunt him and cause havoc in his life. This punishment is rightfully due for his devious acts towards Dido and Creusa. To complete his punishment, Aeneus journeys to the underworld where he attempts to apologize to Dido, but “she flung away from him and fled” (A, VI, 634). Aeneus cannot undo what he has done to her now that she is dead. Though Aeneus had feelings for Dido when he left her, his cruelty killed her. In the underworld he tries to explain that he did not leave of his own free will and reveals his feelings for her. He is seeking forgiveness from someone he killed physically and emotionally and does not receive it. It is justifiable that Dido does not forgive Aeneus for all the pain that he has caused her.

The gods and former beings constantly attack the more vulnerable side of Aeneus. Jupiter describes Aeneus and Rome’s fate (A, I, 347-410) to Venus insuring her that he will reach Rome. His outline of Aeneus’ life is precedence enough that Aeneus will never be in control of his own life. Jupiter announces that he controls the life of Aeneus and nothing will change the destination fated for him. Every move that Aeneus may make is a move fated by Jupiter. To Jupiter, Aeneus is an unwitting puppet that may break one string but never all of them. The fact that Aeneus has absolutely no control of his life would cause anyone to pity him. Furthermore, as Aeneus departs the underworld, he exits through “the Ivory Gate” (A, VI, 1218). The Ivory Gate represents the false dreams Aeneus holds within himself. All the hopes of finding love or Rome fade as he walks through the arched gate. His aspirations do not belong to him, but to the gods. Aeneus believes in something so much that he will sacrifice everything to follow his false hopes. He may have gone to the underworld and became a born again Roman, but he still doesn’t think that he has the strength and courage to build an empire great as Rome. This lack of self-confidence proves that all the tribulations Aeneus conquered, he has not progressed to the status that readers may have expected. Through all his hardships and heartbreaks, readers pity him for losing everything and only gaining so little. Not also does Aeneus’ heart follow false dreams, he ignores the decent being within when “He sank his blade in fury in Turnus’ chest.” (A, XII, 1295-97). A life worth respecting and honoring disappears in favor of a new one. Aeneus loses everything that he once treasured and followed by. His moral values from the time of Troy are taken over by the values of a ruthless leader. He lost himself in the process of gaining a less respectable self. Anchises advice in the underworld became meaningless with one strike. Aeneus loses himself and a part of his father by not exhibiting mercy on Turnus. This self-transformation into a true heartless leader of an empire has placed his duty to country before everything else. Engulfed in a life without mercy proves sorrowful to anyone reading.

It might be argued that Aeneus is similar to Odysseus and therefore is not very exciting because he is just retracing the same steps that Odysseus made. Virgil derived his work from the earlier works of Homer, the Odyssey and Iliad. First, the first six books are basically a rewrite of the Odyssey, telling how Aeneus loses his home and finds a new one. If you read the Odyssey you basically have read the Aeneid. It follows the same story line and ideas. Both Aeneus and Odysseus take journeys to the underworld, a battle with the high seas, and prolonged stay with a female. Second, since Aeneus’ fate is sealed, all the conflicts Aeneus’ faces were resolved beforehand by the gods. There is no thrill or excitement because the outcome is mentioned before the actual conflict. If his life is fated then the conflicts are fated too. Aeneus doesn’t know that his life is already determined and set in motion, but the reader knows. Reading about Aeneus is like watching a movie you already know the plot and ending to; there is no point.

Although the opposition does believe that Aeneus is boring, it can be seen by the arguments presented that he does things that refute that idea. A person can know the plot and ending to a movie and still watch the movie. The subtle details are what molds Aeneus into an extraordinary character. The ability to withdraw emotions from the reader such as rage and pity is more than what other character’s do. If a character makes your feel emotion, then that defines an exciting character. The reason that people view Aeneus as boring is the fact that the Aeneid is a combination of the Iliad and the Odyssey. The readers don’t like appreciating the writing if they already read Homer’s epics. Their assumption is that Aeneus is a character modeled after Odysseus, but Aeneus is more coldhearted than Odysseus will ever be. The obstacles that Aeneus faces are heartbreaking and tough. It requires him to become something he isn’t. The way Aeneus handled the explanation to Dido turned him into the cruelest man in the world and when Aeneus spared no mercy on Turnus, he became the saddest man in the world. His transformation withdraws emotion from the reader of pity and hate. In the world of Homer and Virgil’s epic poems, people lives are not decided by themselves, but rather by others. In the present time, people can choose to believe in fate or decide their own lives. No one person is boring if they get a tear or cheer when they tell their life story to you.

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