Abstract
This paper considers Dido in Virgil's "The Aeneid" as one of the most fascinating female characters in the realm of classical literature. It looks at how she is a figure who symbolizes the ways in which women in her time and place had their lives circumscribed by both the authority and the treachery of men and the ways in which women strove to define the meaning of their own lives.

From the Paper
"Dido is one of the most fascinating female characters in the realm of classical literature, a figure who symbolizes both the ways in which women in her time and place had their lives circumscribed by both the authority and the treachery of men and the ways ..."

Tags:dido, aeneas, virgil, piety

Abstract
In this article, the writer discusses how the love story of Dido and Aeneas figures into the overall thematic design of the AENEID. The writer maintains that the theme of love versus duty surfaces and reaches tragic dimension because no one is ill-intentioned.

From the Paper
"It is difficult to articulate the overriding theme of Virgil's Aeneid in philosophical terms as anything other than the tension between love and duty. Although that may seem a trite way of describing the action of the narrative the fact is that the central love story between Dido and Aeneas brings into specific relief the high-stakes major enterprise Andrews of leadership that Aeneas has embraced. Aeneas has set sail from Troy with his followers with the express purpose of founding a new society. The text does not ..."

Tags:Dido, Aedeid, Rome, Virgil, Aeneas, love-duty dilemma, Virgil, Troy

Abstract
Christine de Pizan's "Book of the City of Ladies" (1405) was written to counteract the lies and misrepresentations about women's character that the author found in the male dominated world of literature. The paper shows that Pizan's main example was Dido, the Phoenician widow of Sychaeus, who escaped her brother's tyranny by fleeing from Tyre to North Africa. There she founded and ruled over the great city of Carthage. The paper explains how, in her book, Pizan went about rehabilitating Dido's reputation by recounting her great prudence as leader of her people and her constancy in love. It shows how this account of Dido counteracts, in very different ways, the versions of Dido's career in Virgil's "Aeneid" and in Dante's "Divine Comedy" in which she is portrayed as "one of the most vilified women of world literature."

From the Paper
"That is all that is left of the woman who was also famous for outwitting various male leaders and for her successful founding and leadership of a great state. Clearly Dante had a somewhat different way of looking at Dido than Virgil did. For Dante she was merely the embodiment of the female sins of lust (for Aeneas) and infidelity (to the memory of Sychaeus) for which so many famous women seemed to find themselves in the second circle of the Inferno--where more women than are found than in any other circle in Dante's Hell. But in the Aeneid Dido is clearly a woman of considerable power and great accomplishments. She is also clearly seen as worthy of Aeneas and is practically a female version of the hero. She is widowed, forced to flee, founds a new city, and her descendants become a powerful civilization--under the protection of Juno. Aeneas' wife dies at the fall of Troy, he is forced to flee and, eventually, he arrives in Italy to fulfill his destiny and found a great race--under the protection of Venus."

Tags:Trojan, Venus

Abstract
This paper discusses how in Virgil's "The Aeneid", the character of Dido plays an important role in Aeneas' heroic journey. It looks at how Dido becomes Aeneas' lover, and falls madly in love with him, which ultimately leads to her demise. The paper also discusses whether or not Virgil meant for Dido to evoke the reader's sympathy and contends that through an examination of Book IV, specifically, one can determine through Virgil's use of language and metaphor that Dido is indeed meant to be pitied, perhaps to further illustrate the sacrifices Aeneas has to make to succeed in his quest.

From the Paper
"First of all, it is important to note Virgil's use of diction when referring to the character of Dido. For instance the use of the metaphor, "She feeds the wound within her veins; she is eaten by a secret flame," creates a very vivid and strong image, almost like Dido is being tortured (IV, 2-3). This clearly evokes a sympathetic reaction from the reader, as Vigil makes it clear that Dido's love for Aeneas is causing her extreme pain. Interestingly, the motif of fire comes up quite often in the novel; for instance, "unhappy Dido burns" and "Her mind is helpless; raging frantically, inflamed..." (IV, 90, 402-403). These references to fire or flame in Book IV seem to foreshadow Dido's death as she "mounts in madness that high pyre," and is ultimately consumed by flames (IV, 893). It is also ironic how in Virgil's description, the flame of love seems to cause Dido more pain than the actual fire of her death."

Tags:Aeneid, love, quest

Abstract
This paper discusses how Virgil intends the reader to understand the apparent suicide of Dido, the lover of Aeneas, the main character in Virgil's "Aeneid" as infact murder at the hands of Aeneas. It examines how the death of Dido can actually be viewed as a murder, through the account that Virgil gives of Aeneas' actions and his psychological murder of Dido before she takes her own life and more so by how he portrays the underworld where Dido and Aeneas eventually meet again. It shows how through these theatrics, Virgil wants to demonstrate a lesson to his readers about the value of passion and love.

From the Paper
"Virgil allows Aeneas to further indite himself in the matter through the answers he gives to Dido. Aeneas claims that they, "Never entered upon the past of marriage," (IV, 468) and informs Dido that he never "meant to be deceitful and slip away," (IV, 466), even though his actions support the contrary belief. As if this was not enough for poor Dido's aching heart to bear, Virgil demonstrates that Aeneas is a cold-blooded killer on and off the battlefield; Aeneas slays Dido's love by telling her, "But now it is the rich Italian land / Apollo tells me I must make for: Italy, / Named by his oracles. There is my love; / There is my country, (IV, 476-479)."

Tags:suicide, rome, carthage, aeneas, trojan, war, death

Abstract
This paper outlines the similarities in the female literary characters, Medea and Dido. It suggests that, even though the two characters are usually thought of as very different, they share many similar qualities. It says that they are both strong, knowledgeable, admirable, patriotic, and have great love for their husbands and fathers. In spite of these similarities, the two characters are thought of very differently, however, because of their different motivations for their actions. Thus, Dido is remembered for her strength and knowledge and Medea for her treachery.

From the Paper
"There is a great deal of modern scholarship associated with the classical treatment of women. Hundreds of pages of intellectual interpretations regarding the nature of their lives, their beauty, their wisdom and most specifically how they were treated by men, all through the fish eye view of classical literature. In two works there are two characters who are particularly fascinating to scholars, Medea and Dido. Euripides and Virgil both gave the world a true gift of literary interest. Comparing the two characters, Medea and Dido leaves an impression that they are a great deal alike, and yet the world's lasting view of them is very different."

Tags:epic, corinth, jason, husband, aeneas, sychaeus, golden, fleece, brother

From the Paper
"Christine de Pizan's Book of the City of Ladies (1405) was written to counteract the lies and misrepresentations about women's character that the author found in literature in which all the male writers seemed to "speak from one and the same mouth" (4). She resolved, with the help and guidance of the allegorical figures of Reason, Rectitude, and Justice, to write a demonstration of the invaluable contributions of women throughout history. She intended to counteract the ridiculous claims by male writers "that the behavior of women is inclined to and full of every vice" (4). er examples range from the mythological Amazons to the women of the Old Testament and examples from more recent history. The greatest number, however, derived from classical history and literature. One of the best known, or, as Pizan put it, the woman whose "fame has surpassed that of all..."

Abstract
The paper analyzes how the authors approach the representation of the two women's characters and actions by considering their social and psychological makeups and how that impacts upon their deeds. The characters are compared and contrasted in depth and their many similarities portrayed.

From the Paper
"In an effort to understand Euripides' representation of Medea and Vergil's representation of Dido, it is useful to clarify the central issues and themes of the works in which these characters appear. Both Medea, and the story of Dido in The Aeneid portray patterns of human behavior in situations of stress. In both cases said stress is caused by a similar factor: passion. Violent passion tends to cause people to behave differently from how they would normally act. This is so regardless of whether the passion is love or hate. Indeed, there is a relationship of unity between these apparent opposites and a person may oscillate between the two feelings as, for example, Amnon did when in his passion for Tamar in the biblical story: "the hate with which he hated her [became] greater than the love with which he loved her" (Samuel 2 13:15). In both of the stories we are discussing, a particular event serves as the catalyst that triggers this stark reversal of feelings. However, each of the female protagonists to whom this happens deals with her pain in a unique manner, befitting her psychological makeup."

Tags:aneas, veril, virgil, biblical, tamar, psychological, deed

Abstract
This paper emphasizes the differences between Aenaes and Dido in terms of their futures, in Virgil's "The Aeneid". The paper focuses on the love that Aenaes and Dido shared and how this love had to be abandoned in order for Aeneas to achieve his ultimate fame. Although Aenaes feels sadness in accepting his fate initially, his sadness does not compare to the depression Dido experiences, which eventually leads to her suicide.

From the Paper
"After Aeneas leaves Carthage for good, Dido can no longer think clearly and all hopes of emotional stability are gone. Dido curses Aeneas and has a pyre built, which she secretly intends to use for her own suicide. Although Dido is unaware of when she will die, the reader knows that it is not yet time for her death. Fate is still a mystery to Dido and the power of Amor makes it even more difficult for her to think clearly and rationally. Before Dido mounts the pyre, she gives a long speech that challenges the fate of Aeneas and questions the true meaning of his departure."

Tags:dido, juno, Carthage

Abstract
An analysis of the joint culpability of Dido and Aeneas, both of whom are responsible for their illicit relationship and yet who are also both victims of the forces of fate. This essay examines, by means of a close analysis of literary devices, Virgil's biased presentation of the story of Dido and Aeneas and offers an alternative reading that is nevertheless grounded in the text of "The Aeneid." Includes quotations from the Latin text (as well as English translations of these quotations) in support.

From the Paper
"One of the most powerful natural human tendencies in reaction to any great trouble or tragedy is to attempt to assign blame. In searching for the causes of problems in life, we often try to blame the faults or shortcomings of others in order to absolve ourselves of guilt and set our minds and our consciences at ease. Even when considering tragedies or problems with which we have no personal connection, we feel an overwhelming urge to simplify, explain, and resolve the situation by affixing culpability. However, in doing so we frequently overlook extenuating circumstances and allow ourselves to succumb to narrow, biased interpretations of these circumstances. We simply cannot seem to accept the fundamental truth that in some of the greatest tragedies of life, everyone and yet no one is truly to blame. The story of Dido and Aeneas in Virgil's Aeneid epitomizes this truth; Dido and Aeneas are both equally to blame, and yet neither is truly deserving of blame because both were victims of fate and forces beyond their control."

Tags:blame, culpa, epic, literature, pudor