What Happens in Book Three?
In Book Three, Aeneas continues telling the story of how he came to be in
Dido’s court in Carthage. He outlines the Trojans seven years of wandering
across the Mediterranean, looking for the place that they are destined to
settle in. Their journey is shown below.
Book 3: Messages About Aeneas’ Destiny
1. Thrace: Aeneas left because he
heard about the Thracians killing of
Polydorus, who had gone to Thrace
to safeguard Trojan gold.
5. Buthrotum: Helenus, son of Priam and
now a Greek king married to Andromache,
prophesises that the Trojans will have to go
to Cumae, on the far side of Italy.
2. Delos: A message from Apollo’s
oracle “Seek out your ancient mother”.
Anchises says this means Crete.
6. Etna: The Trojans meet a crewman
of Ulysses and avoid the Cylopes.
7. Drepanum: Anchises dies – “This
blow was my last anguish.”
4. Strophades: The Harpies curse
the Trojans for attacking them,
saying the Trojans must suffer
before founding their city.
3. Crete: Trojans try to settle, but
suffer famine & plague. Troy’s gods
appear to Aeneas and tell him: “Italy is
our true home.”
Book Four
The
Tragedy of
Dido
A Sister’s Advice
pgs.97-98
1. What advice does Anna
give Dido in this
conversation? For what
reasons does she give
this advice?
2. What else does Dido
reveal about herself in
this conversation?
What effects does Anna’s
advice have on Dido?
Juno’s Scheme (pgs 100-101)
1. How does Juno show sarcasm
in her first words to Venus?
2. What offer does she make to
Venus?
3. Why is Venus suspicious? To whose
authority does she ask Juno to appeal?
4. What (in 1-2 sentences) is Juno’s
plan?
5. Why does Venus agree to the plan?
The ‘Marriage’
of Aeneas and
Dido
(pgs.101-102)
Right: Dido
shows Aeneas
around
Carthage.
Below: The day
of the hunt.
1. Who has organised
this ‘marriage’ and
why?
2. How does Virgil
show his disapproval
in his description of the
union between Aeneas
and Dido in the cave?
The Plan and the ‘Marriage’ - Review
(pgs.100-103)
1. Why does Juno want Aeneas and Dido to get married?
2. Explain the phrase: “The sky connived at their union”.
3. When Venus says: “I am subject to the Fates, whose
design is obscure to me?”, how do we know she is lying?
4. Does Venus care about Dido? Does Juno? Explain your
views.
5. “She called it a marriage. She used this word to screen
her sin.” Read from p101. Does Aeneas view his
relationship with Dido as a marriage?
“Hell hath no fury like
a woman scorned”
From The Mourning Bride, by William Congreve
The Tragedy Unfolds (pgs.103-110)
The plot is pushed along by a series of
speeches from gods and mortals. Your task is
to rewrite these speeches in plain English, in
less than 30 words each.
- The African King Iarbas (p.103-4)
- Jupiter (p.104)
- Mercury (p.105)
- Dido (p.106)
- Aeneas (p.107-8)
- Dido (p.108-9)
- Dido (p.110)
The African King Iarbas (p103-4)
Mercury (p.105)
Jupiter (p.104)
Dido (p.106)
Dido (pgs.108-9 and p.110)
Aeneas (pgs.107-8)
What should Dido do now?
(p.113-114)
List the options other than death that
Dido considers “in her fiery brain”
(p.113-4)
Dido’s Curse (p.116)
“From then onwards shall you, my Phoenicians,
torment with acts of pursuing hate all his
descendants to come, each member of his line.”
(Dido, p.116)
Refer to handout: ‘Carthage: Historical Background’
1. How does this show Dido’s curse coming true?
2. Which famous Carthaginian is Dido’s ‘Avenger’?
What did he do?
3. How did Rome’s conflict with Carthage end?
The Death Of Dido
Who is responsible for Dido’s
death?
Make cases for the prosecution
and defence of each of the
following:
1) Aeneas
2) Dido
3) Juno
4) Jupiter
5) Venus / Cupid
6) Anna
‘Who Said
That?’
The Character of Dido
List aspects of Dido’s character that are
revealed in Book IV, giving evidence to
back up each aspect.
Aspect of Dido’s
Character
Evidence
Respects the gods
‘Their first act was
to visit the shrines
and pray to the gods’
(pg 99)
Task – Compare Dido’s character in Book IV with how she is
portrayed in Book I.
Did Aeneas Love Dido?
What evidence can you find from Book
IV to suggest Aeneas loved Dido?
• The Cave ‘Marriage’
• Dressing in Tyrian purple – acting as King of Carthage
• Helping to supervise the building of Carthage
• Delaying/cancelling his trip to Italy
• “I shall never tire, Elissa, of your memory”
• Claims it is not his choice to venture onward
• He is described as “shaken to the depths, by the strength of
his love”, after Mercury’s appearance.
Imagery in Book IV
1. A doe
pieced by a
shepherd’s
arrow. (p.99)
4. A
‘Bacchanal’
(devotee of
the god
Bacchus)
(p.106)
Explain the following images
that appear in Book IV
2. The god Apollo
(p.101)
5. A strong oak tree
(pg. 110-1)
3. The personification
of Rumour (p.102)
6. Ants storing up
food for the winter
(p.109)
7. Stories of Madness (p.111) – Pentheus + Orestes, son of Agamemnon