The Aeneid free essay sample

Heroism and Bereavement Vergil’s Aeneid is an epic that illustrates the determination that displays heroism amongst an individual, and furthermore, how this perception of heroism is shifted throughout the play. An example of this modification in Vergil’s perception of heroism was presented in Book 10, during the dreadful death of Lausus by the hands of Aeneas. Vergil presented the death of Lausus as a very extreme and vicious act. Nevertheless, Vergil illustrated Lausus’ death in such a vicious manner for various reasons. Firstly, he wanted to show the readers the new side of Aeneas. We will write a custom essay sample on The Aeneid or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Secondly, his death displayed another example of the father-son relationship in the play. Lastly, because Vergil attempted to have the readers reflect back on Pallas. Therefore, due to these reasons, Vergil portrays the death of Lausus in such an appalling manner. First and foremost, Vergil displays the death of Lauses in such a vicious act because he wants to depict the new side of Aeneas. In the first half of Aeneid, it’s represented that Aeneas is an individual who is courageous, yet, at the same time also dependent on the decisions the Gods make for him.Therefore, Vergil displays Aeneas as a character that can’t withstand or resist the will that Gods make for him and his fate. This was shown in Book 4, as Aeneas was demanded by the Gods to leave Carthage and Dido because the Gods felt those were the obstacles that were interrupting him from his goals. â€Å"Are you, of all people, laying the foundations of lofty Carthage and building a beautiful city – for a woman? What about your realms, your own affairs† (Book 4, lines 299-302)? However Aeneas did feel sympathy and love for Dido, but was unable to express it. Therefore, he did exactly what the Gods asked, and left Carthage and Dido. However, as we shift to the second half of the Aeneid, Jupiter conveys Juno and Venus not to get involved with Aeneas’ and let him accomplish his goals on his own. Now, there is a drastic character shift within Aeneas. Since, he’s making his own decisions, Aeneas is more confident and adapts a new expression of rage. This expression of rage is what differentiates Aeneas from the first half. This is shown in Book 10, in the battle scene against the Latins’ because Aeneas shows his rage by slaying the enemies left and right. Aeneas was glad to see the Tuscan’s blood and drawing his sword, moved in eagerly† (Book 10, lines 938-939). Furthermore, this new rage in Aeneas is what drives him to kill Lausus in the ferocious manner. Therefore, Vergil makes it vital to implicate such a dreadful death due to the distinctive and exceedingly enraged Aeneas. An important theme pushed back and fourth in the Aeneid is the relationship between the father and son. Vergil portrays this relationship to be of vital importance because at the time this was a bond that illustrated a structure of significance in the Roman society.The relationship with Aeneas and his father, Anchises, is depicted exceedingly throughout the play. In book 2, as the city of Troy was being destroyed, Aeneas put his own life in jeopardy to save his fathers life. Additionally, in book 6, Aeneas goes to the underworld just to meet his father because that was the only man Aeneas knew he could always trust despite anything. â€Å"Three times he tried to put his arms around his father’s neck. Three times his father’s wraith slipped through his hands as light as wind, as fleeting as a dream† (Book 6, lines 828-831).As a result, this represented how much a son cared, respected, and valued his father profoundly in the Roman civilization. Several characters such as; Evander and Pallas, King Priam and Polites, Achilles and Pyrrhus; also showed this father-son relationship that was displayed in the Aeneid. Furthermore, even Mazentius and Lauses displayed this deep form of father-son relationship. Vergil portrays such brutality in the death of Lausus because as Aeneas killed Lausus, Mazentius was right in front to see his own son die. â€Å"Lausus, watching, groaned deeply for love of his father, and tears rolled down his face† (Book 10, lines 941-943). As a result, in a society where a father-son relationship is so superior, killing ones son right in front of the father is an extremely dreadful act; thus, Vergil displayed so much brutality simply by having the presence of Mezentius during the death of Lausus. The reflection on Pallas is the last reason that depicts the dreadful death of Lausus. In book 8, Aeneas has a reflection from a goddess that tells to form an alliance with the Arcadians who are also amongst war with the Latins. Therefore, this would help Aeneas and the Troy army to gather more soldiers and make the battle gain prospect towards their side triumphing.As Aeneas goes to the Arcadian territory, he is welcomed in open hands by the king of Arcadians, Evander. Both sides agree working together is beneficial for each other. Before going out to battle, Evander requests Aeneas to take his son, Pallas, with him into battle. â€Å"Let him learn from you to endure the work of war. Let him observe all you do and respect you from his early years† (Book 8, lines 586-588). Therefore, through this conversation, Aeneas understood Pallas was now his responsibility. Aeneas appreciated all of the help Evander gave him, and therefore, knew Pallas shouldn’t be hurt during battle.However, fate had other things in mind, and Pallas was killed by Turnus. Not only killed, but his corpse was also put to shame and disgrace as Turnus tore away Pallas’ engraved belt and took it as a sign of victory. Once Aeneas found out about his death, he was put into compete rage. â€Å"Pallas, Evander, everything swam in Aeneas’ eye – the table he came to as a stranger, the right hands pledged† (Book 10, lines 622-624). Lausus was in a similar position as Pallas. He was also a young solider fighting under his father’s army. Thus, after Pallas’ death, Aeneas showed no remorse for killing Lausus.As a result, due to this reflection of Pallas, Aeneas obtains such anger and rage to give Lausus such a brutal death. In conclusion, Vergil’s Aeneid is an epic that illustrates exactly what it means to be a hero. It depicts how different strategies determine that faith of that hero. For instance, Vergil illustrated the main hero, Aeneas, killing the character of Lausus as an act that was meant to be vicious and unjust. Vergil portrayed the death this way because he wanted to show how the character of Aeneas is shifted from the beginning to end.Secondly, he wanted to further illustrate the theme of the father-son relationship, and show how it revokes the death of Lausus. Lastly, Vergil does this to make a manifestation back to the death of Pallas. Therefore, based on these three reasons, Vergil displays the death of Lausus to be aggressive and hateful for the audience because it embarks a new attribute that revolutionizes Aeneas as the protagonist of the story, but is also justified due to the death of Pallas, and ties together different relationships and bonds the epic creates.In general, I feel the readers would have a negative reaction based to what Vergil has written because we expect the main hero to be brave but at the same time forgiving and helpful to ot hers. Aeneas, one the other hand, does show bravery, but has too much anger to show any other form of emotion; therefore he doesn’t strike as one with the superficial hero most readers look for. However, based on the context of Aeneid, it’s understandable why Aeneas is put into this rage and temper, therefore it’s explicable to comprehend with the actions he is forced to take on.