Virgil's Aeneid Analysis Example

The first six books of the Aeneid show the journey of Aeneas and the Trojans as they fight through the discouragement of Juno, love, death, and his willpower; while Anchises, the gods, and the Trojan people fight to enact the will of the fates for Aeneas to fill his vocation. Aeneas is transformed through his overcoming the discouragements through the encouragements of Anchises, his people, and the gods, because of whom he is known as the mythological founder of Rome today.

Aeneas initially fights a powerful goddess, Juno, who intends to disrupt fate and prevent the Trojans from coming upon their designated lands in Italy. She attempted to go through the winds to stop the Trojans from arriving in Italy, “Scatter them (Trojans), strew bodies on the water” (Vergil I:70);  Juno is working together alongside the ruler of the winds, Aeolus (I:53). Aeolus works to use his winds to prevent the Trojans from reaching their destination (I:110-120), however through the encouragement of his father before leaving Troy, he can hold himself accountable for his fate. Earlier in Aeneas’s life, yet further along in the poem, Anchises prays to Jove for an omen on the survival of his people, “for our devotion Grant us a sky sign to affirm this omen” (I:690-691); because this is before Aeolus’ attempted destruction of the Trojans, Aeneas can be confident in support from Jove and Anchises encouraging him to complete his vocation and bring the Trojans to the new lands of Rome in Italy. The encouragements of Anchises and Jove fighting against the discouragements and contention of fate by Juno help Aeneas further himself along in his righteousness and complete his vocation. 

Along Aeneas’ journey, he stumbles upon the land of Carthage, where he meets Dido, who falls in love with him. When Aeneas’ time runs out in Carthage, and he must continue on the path towards his vocation, he attempts to sneak away from Dido and her lands. When Dido catches Aeneas trying to sneak away, she confronts him. When confronted, he knows he must continue towards Italy, yet he was “struggling to force his feelings from his heart” (IV:332). Aeneas is confident in his vocation because of the encouragement of Mercury/Hermes after Jove sends the god to encourage Aeneas along his path. Emotions clouded the judgment between Pietas and Auctoritas and Frenzy in the form of disobeying the gods for the Trojans and the Carthaginians. When Mercury comes to Aeneas, saying, “Forgetting your own Kingdom that awaits you” (IV:267), he is reminding Aeneas of his duty to the hierarchy of beings, Auctoritas; and, he is reminding Aeneas of his commitment to the gods. Through Mercury’s reminder, Aeneas is brought back to reality, where he realizes how far off track he has gotten and quickly returns to the path of his vocation. Although Dido attempts to sway Aeneas to stay in Carthage and discourage him from his calling, Mercury assists in reinforcing Aeneas’s piety, creating a greater desire inside of him to fulfill his calling and found the Roman race.

    Along Aeneas’ perilous journey, he becomes exhausted because of the discouragements and stresses he has encountered. After Dido and Aeneas confront each other over their respective futures, Aeneas announces to Dido how he wished he had never left Troy: “If I had power over my decisions, I would have stayed at Troy”(IV:341-342), the desire for Frenzy is strong enough in Aeneas for him to announce it after the hardships he faced. Later in the poem, Aeneas reconvenes with Anchises in the underworld after Anchises death, where he shows Aeneas the future of the Trojan people, in all their greatness. Anchises’s call to become a servant of fate is unmistakable during the viewing of the future of Rome, “Renowned Rome will rule the world and raise her heart to Heaven” (VI:781-782). When Anchises recalls the foretold future of Rome to Aeneas, he intends to persuade Aeneas to need no more encouragement but to become willing to overcome any obstacle in the fulfillment of his vocation. The discouragements and encouragements of Aeneas in these two quotations, are aimed towards the will of Aeneas to try to alter his mindset to that of servitude. 

Throughout the first six books of the Aeneid, Aeneas battles through his mind and obstacles around him using the support that surrounds him to fulfill his vocation through changing his mindset. The changing of his mindset needs to reflect the Roman virtues as we know them now, Pietas, Auctoritas, and Gravitas; however, his mindset in the first six books reflected that of Furor and Frenzy.