By the end of this lesson, you will be able to identify and analyse the distinctive literary techniques Virgil uses in Book 4 to create its tragic effect.
Book 4 is often considered Virgil's most polished composition. Its similes, personifications, speeches, and imagery create an intensely emotional experience. Understanding these techniques is essential for close analysis.
Dido is compared to a deer struck by an arrow from an unaware shepherdâthe dart clings to her side as she flees. This simile appears early, foreshadowing her death. The shepherd's unawareness complicates blame: Aeneas didn't intend fatal harm.
After discovering Aeneas's preparations, Dido rages "like a Thyiad stirred by Bacchic rites." This associates her with Dionysiac madnessâreligious frenzy, loss of control. It elevates her suffering to mythic status while emphasising irrationality.
Dido's nightmares are compared to Pentheus seeing double Thebes and Orestes pursued by Furies. Both are figures from tragedy who suffer madness and destruction. The references to Greek drama underscore Book 4's tragic mode.
Aeneas, unmoved by Dido's pleas, is compared to an oak battered by Alpine windsâit sheds leaves but holds firm. This simile emphasises his endurance but also his inflexibility. "Mens immota manet"âhis mind remains unmoved. Is this admirable or cold?
Fama (Rumour) is described in extraordinary detail (4.173-197): a monster with many eyes, tongues, and ears, who flies through cities at night. She grows as she moves, "small at first from fear, soon she raises herself to heaven."
Narrative: Fama spreads news of Dido and Aeneas, reaching Iarbas, triggering his prayer, and Jupiter's intervention.
Thematic: Fama represents the social dimension of private actionsâDido's reputation is destroyed.
Symbolic: Fama embodies uncontrollable forces that overwhelm individuals.
Dido's speech moves through accusation, appeal, and despair. She invokes shared experiences, their bed, her ruined reputation. The rhetoric is emotional, fragmentedâbroken syntax reflecting mental distress.
Aeneas's speech is controlled, almost legalistic. He denies calling it marriage, acknowledges gratitude, but insists on divine command. The contrast with Dido's passionate rhetoric highlights his pietasâand perhaps his emotional limitation.
Dido's final speech is a formal curse invoking eternal enmity. "Exoriare aliquis nostris ex ossibus ultor"âarise, avenger, from my bones. This prophesies Hannibal and the Punic Wars, linking myth to Roman history with terrifying power.
Dido's final words summarise her achievement and loss. "I have lived and completed the course that fortune gave." She speaks of her shade going under the earth. The speech is dignified, a partial recovery of queenly composure before death.