5. Which of the following is NOT one of the examples that Venus lists of ways that Juno ignored Jupiter's will and tried to form new destinies for men?

Short Essay Questions

1. Under what conditions does Jupiter allow Juno to remove Turnus from the fight?

2. Why does Juno send Juturna to interfere with the war?

3. How does Venus use references to the Trojan War when meeting with Jupiter at the beginning of Book X?

4. What does Jupiter mean when he says that to everyone (Trojan or Rutulian), he is the same king?

5. What does the use of Iris as a messenger at the end of Book IX tell the reader about the balance of power between the gods?

6. Examine the advice and prophecy that Faunus gives his son Latinus. Rewrite in your own words what he is saying.

7. Who are the princes referred to in the book title, how do they die, and why might their deaths be particularly significant?

8. What arguments does Sacës use to persuade Turnus to return to the fight?

9. What does Evander mean when he tells Aeneas that Aeneas must have the courage to shape himself to fit through the low doorway into Evander's humble home, besides the literal fact that Aeneas is too tall to walk through the doorway without stooping a bit?

10. How does Jupiter become involved with the war in Book XI, and does this seem fair after he said before in Book X about being the same king to both Trojans and Rutulians?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

One of the main characteristics of epic poems such as The Aeneid (and The Iliad and The Odyssey) is that the poem starts "in medias res," or in the middle of the action. The narrative then reveals information about what came before through various means, such as characters telling tales of the past or the narrator providing background. Discuss how this work begins in the middle, what information the reader is eventually given about what happened before, how this information is provided, and what effect this structure has on the experience of reading the poem.

Essay Topic 2

Compare and contrast the actions of Juno and Venus throughout the story. For what reasons do these two goddesses become entangled in the affairs of humans? At what points do they cross the line and become too involved? At what points does Jupiter intervene and tell them to stop? What techniques and strategies do they use to change the outcomes of events in the world below?

Essay Topic 3

A bildingsroman is a work of art that tells of the development of a character, perhaps telling how the character matures or grows capable of taking on a duty as the process of a journey or a series of trials. Explain why The Aeneid is or is not a bildingsroman by examining how Aeneas does or does not develop over the course of it. Examine issues such as:

1) his capacity as a leader

2) his control over his emotions and temper

3) the wiseness of his judgement

4) his treatment of others.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,386 words
(approx. 5 pages at 300 words per page)

View a FREE sample