Responsibility In The Aeneid

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Woman is a Thing Forever Fitfull and Forever Changing The question of responsibility when it comes to fate is an ever tricky one. Depending on your viewpoint, the blame for Dido’s end belongs to a different person, or, if the blame should be shared, to each of the different persons in different amounts. In the context of The Aeneid, Dido’s wholly unnecessary death was caused by numerous simultaneous factors and wasn’t the fault of any singular entity. Aeneus certainly caused Dido’s death. If Aeneus had not landed on those African shores, Dido would have had no reason to die in the way she did. Though Aeneus’ responsibility is severely mitigated by the fact that he really does nothing actively to cause her death. As he himself says, “he never touched the bridal torch.” Dido and Aeneus were never officially married, nothing was officially promised. Aeneus’ only crime is ignoring the well know axiom of today – and I’m sure ancient Troy had a similar version – that, politely said, urges men to be wary of the mental state of their partners. No matter Dido’s intentions, Aneus had to continue his fate. As he says, “I sail for Italy not of my own free will.” Not without blame is Dido’s sister, Anna. Early on, Anna encourages Dido to grasp for the “crown of joy that Venus brings” and convinces her of the “great city you’ll see…show more content…
Fate may not have held the blade that pierced Dido, Fate may not have have ordered Cupid to come or Aeneus to leave, Fate may not have desired or acted in any way against Dido, but everyone who did was acting because of their own role in fate. Whether you believe that fate is as complicated as sub-atomic particles following the laws of physics unable to leave the movements set in place for them at the big bang or as simple as the will of God, Dido was fated to die, right then and right

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