The Aeneid, by Virgil, is an epic that attempts to give the Roman Empire an illustrious founding. As the story progresses, Virgil presents two very real human emotions: pietas, and impious furor. Pietas is duty towards the Gods, country, and family. Impious furor, in contrast, is the feeling of fury and passion. These two emotions are consistently at odds with each other. Many characters within the epic, such as Juno, are consumed by their own fury, a trait which Virgil sheds negative light on. Aeneas, the hero and central character, on the other hand, is a man who is presented as pious and dutiful. He obeys the Gods and journeys to Rome. However, at the end of the novel, Aeneas himself is overtaken by rage, and he kills out of vengeance. Virgil’s goal in writing the Aeneid is to present Aeneas as a pious individual, and thus giving Rome a glorious founding. By closing the novel with an act of rage, however, Virgil portrays Aeneas as a ruthless killer. The ending is inappropriate because it casts doubt on the very reason for which Virgil wrote the Aeneid. Aeneas is presented as someone who is the model of pietas. A Roman must show piety towards his family, his country, and above all, piety to the Gods. When Aeneas visits Carthage,
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Juno has been a vengeful character from the start, but in this passage she reaches the height of her anger, and she challenges even the fates. Are you forgetful Of what is your own kingdom, your own fate? remember Ascanius growing up, the hopes you hold For Iulus, your own heir, to whom are owed The realm of Italy and land of Rome. While other’s may indulge their anger, Aeneas has control over his emotions. In addition, Aeneas is explicitly referred to as “pious” within the text. Her rage only continues to grow, and Juno asks Aeolus, god of winds, to destroy the entire Trojan fleet in one great storm. However, as the epic nears its end, even Aeneas succumbs to his own impious furor. However, Aeneas’s final act indicates a man consumed by his own impious furor, and rather than providing a noble conclusion to the epic, it suggests that Rome was founded by an enraged man. Turnus knows he is “beaten,” and he asks that Aeneas turn aside his “hatred. Aeneas has mortally wounded the man, but he still shows compassion towards him. In the battle with the Latin’s, Aeneas does not heed the pleas of his enemy. Juno is extremely upset because Paris denied her the golden apple. “You Aeolus-/…Hammer your winds to fury/ and ruin their swamped ships, or scatter them/ and fling their crews piecemeal across the seas” (Aeneid, 1:95-103). Thus, Juno’s actions represent the climax of impious furor. He asks Aeneas to “pity” him and “spare” his life. Liger, a Latin warrior, begs Aeneas not to kill him.
Approximate Word count =
1435
Approximate Pages =
6 (250 words per page double spaced)
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