The Aeneid, Book Two
The plot
Characters
Themes
Pathos and tragedy
Symbols and imagery
Similes
Prophecy
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Through understanding the themes,
language features and symbols we can
comprehensively evaluate and discuss
Book Two.
Learning Objective
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Who was Laocoon?
He was the Trojan priest.
What is the main idea in Book Two?
The defeat of the Trojans.
Whose idea was it to erect the giant horse, according
to Sinon?
Calchas’ idea (high priest of the Greeks)
Who appears to Aeneas in a dream?
Hector.
Who was Creusa and what happened to her?
She was Aeneas’ wife. She was killed when the
Trojans were escaping.
Who are the Danaans?
They are the Greeks (sub-tribe).
Quiz
NEIGH
1. The crowd falls silent as Aeneas retells
the story of the Trojan War.
2. He begins with the Greeks, after the
death of Achilles. Minerva inspired them to
build a great wooden horse and fill it with
armed men. They left it in front of the
gates of Troy and sailed to the island
Tenedos.
3. Laocoon (Trojan priest) warns the
Trojans to be careful about the wooden
horse. He throws a spear at the horse and
noises are heard.
4. The Trojans find Sinon. He tells his
pitiful tale to the Trojans. After hearing
Sinon’s story, King Priam accepts him with
open arms.
PLOT section.
“All lips were hushed, all eyes attentive
fixed:
Then Prince Aeneas from his lofty couch
Addressed him thus to speak” (lines 1-2)
“Build up a horse of mountain bulk,
the ribs of pine-planks interwoven” (line 15)
“Hither they sail, and on the barren
shore Lie hid. We deemed them far upon
their way” (lines 24-25)
“Alack! So mad, my masters!
Do ye think the foe departed?...
Even gift in hand I fear the Danai still.”
(lines 44-49)
“If Fortune shaped Sinon for misery,
shall her spite, beside, shape him to
fraud and falsehood.” (line 78)
Find the right quote for each
•5. “For Laocoon,
the priest of
Neptune…was
sacrificing a bull,
when, lo! From
Tenedos, over the
tranquil ocean
serpents
twain…His two
son’s slender
bodies either snake
embraces and
enfolds…then him
they seize…’rightly
hath Laocoon paid
for his crime’, they
cry….”
Plot
6. “Meanwhile
the face of
heaven is
turned, and
night comes up
from ocean…The
Teucrians lay;
sleep held their
weary
limbs…Sinon by
stealth lets loose
the pinewood
bolts…Them the
horse…
thrown
open…Hector
before my eyes,
all woebegone….”
7. “I…stand, all
ear, to hearken;
as, when fire
falls on the corn
beneath the
furious
south…shouting
of
mean…distraught
I seize mine
arms…And with
my comrades
hasten to the
hold: frenzy and
anger urge my
headlong will,
and death
methinks how
comely, sword in
hand!”
8. “The youth
Corobus. In
those days it
chanced he,
mad with
passion for
Cassandra
fired…Maiden
Cassandra…vain
ly to heaven her
burning eyes
she casts –
eyes, for her
tender hands
are locked in
chains. This
sight Corobus
brooked not;
mad with rage
He hurled them
on their very
midst, to die.”
- explain what each section is about to the person next to you.
A) Aeneas passes Helen. He thinks of striking her down then for
causing the war. Venus appears and asks him why he is so bitter. She
shows him that the gods were working against Troy emphasizing that
they had no hope. She sped him along to his father, Anchises.
Anchises refuses to leave.
D) Priam put on his armour.
C) Ascanius' face lites up with a divine
His wife and daughters
light as if it were on fire and
plead with him. At that
Anchises asked Jupiter to confirm
moment Pyrrhus rushed in
the omen. They watched a shooting
and killed Polites on the
star streak through the sky and
altar. Priam flung his spear
Anchises decided that he should leave.
towards the invader. Pyrrhus
Aeneas slung his father over his
laughed as the old man
shoulders and led his child by the hand.
missed and then he killed
him.
B) Coroebus rushed off to
death when they found
out that Cassandra was
raped.
Plot - arrange these points in the
correct order.
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And finally … Aeneas searches the city for
Creusa.
◦ What does she say to Aeneas?
Plot.
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Read pages 17-21 of the Findlay text.
◦ In pairs discuss the questions on pages 17-18
as a recap.
◦ Do activities 1 and 3 on page 20.
ACTIVITY
When did Hitler become Chancellor of
Germany?
 1933
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QUIRKY QUESTION
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AENEAS: demonstrates furor instead of
fleeing Troy. He decides to fight and
possibly die as a hero.
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Venus reminds him of his duty (to protect
his family and start a new race). HE
BEGINS SHOWING PIETAS.
CHARACTERS
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priest of _______.
Neptune
Laocoon: Trojan ____
Trojans
Sinon: Greek soldier captured by the ______.
King ____
Priam of Troy, appears to
Hector: son of ___
Aeneas
____ in his sleep.
Apollo
Panthus: priest of ____.
Priam
Coroebus: ally of King ____.
daughter
Cassandra: _______
of King Priam.
Greek warrior.
Androgeos: ____
Achilles
Pyrrhus: Greek warrior, son of _____.
Troy
Priam: aged king of ___.
wife
Hecuba: Priam’s ___.
New characters: fill in the blanks
The gods are responsible for the start of
the war (Judgement of Paris). They are
also responsible for the outcome of the
war: the downfall of Troy.
 Gods control the events in Book II.
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Role of the gods in Book II
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Cruelty of the gods.
Power and control of the gods. Can not
avoid will of the gods.
Gods assist with fate.
Intervention of the gods in the affairs of
the mortals – no concern for welfare of
the mortals.
Human dependence on the gods.
Gods = enemies of Troy.
Role of the gods cont.
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Create a mind map which demonstrates
the below:
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How
How
How
How
the gods act in Bk II
the mortals put their trust in the gods
the gods impose on Aeneas’ personal life
they meddle in the process of things.
Activity on the gods
Major theme: Aeneas’ divine
mission
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Read page 35 Findlay. Create a flow chart
which summarises the Aeneas’ divine
mission.
Major theme: War/ the Trojan War
Another theme is war and the horrors surrounding
it. Write a paragraph which explains how Book II
portrays this. You may use the below points.
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The story
Roman heritage
Pain and suffering of war
The death of Priam
Sympathetic view. Portrays the Trojans as
heroes.
 Pathos (sorrow).
 The fall of Troy is narrated by Aeneas, a
victim of war, because of this the reader is
made to sympathise with him and his
plight.
 Virgil is sympathetic towards the Trojans.
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Find a direct quote which supports
this idea.
PATHOS AND TRAGEDY
Concentration on a single purpose:
Aeneas’ destiny.
 Continuity of themes, motifs (prophecies
and predictions) and characters.
 Integration of imagery: snakes, ghost
of Hector.
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PATHOS AND TRAGEDY
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Tragic fear and pity, such as the
destruction of Troy is not a deserved
punishment.
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The tragic hero – Aeneas.
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Emphasis on the idea that neither
righteousness nor religion are any
protection to the Trojans.
PATHOS AND TRAGEDY
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Wooden Horse: the Trojan horse is one
of the main symbols of Book II because it
represents the infiltration of the Greeks.
Language features
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The other major symbol are snakes:
represents the invasion of the Greeks and
danger.
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A recurring image in the book :
◦ the two sea-snakes kill Laocoon;
◦ Androgeos is like a man who stepped on a
snake;
◦ Neoptolemus (Pyrrhus) is compared to a snake
who's just sloughed its skin.
Language features
OTHER SYMBOLS
 Ghost of Hector: reveals to Aeneas the
beginning of his divine mission.
 Flames: symbolises that the Trojans must
leave. What other images does Zeus
create?
 Creusa as a melting dream.
 War as a flood representing violence.
Language features
“Troy’s dying anguish” (personification)
“Now, too, dewy night adown the sky falls
headlong, and the stars sinking invite
sleep” (metaphor)
 “All lips were hushed” (metaphor)
 “When from the upturned eyes shot
quivering flames” (metaphor).
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Describe the effects of the above
language features
“the shepherd [Aneas]”
Discuss how this is an example of
multiple correspondence.
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There are parts of prophecies contained in
the speeches of Hector and Creusa as
they hint that Aeneas must go on a
journey with the refugees on Troy and
found a city.
PROPHECY