An obvious difference between the epic poem "The Aeneid", and the opera "Aeneas and Dido" is that "The Aeneid" discusses how Aeneas created the foundations for Rome, whilst "Aeneas Dido", by Henry Purcell, only focuses on the aspects of that epic poem that focus on the relationship between Aeneas, and Dido. With that stated, compare the two works, and discuss the modifications that Purcell made to his opera. Specifically, given that the opera was written in the late 17th Century, discuss what role nationalism played in the plot if any (in light of the Roman, Trojan, and Carthaginian dynamics). What role does amourous emotion play in both the epic poem, and the opera (including, but not limited to Dido’s suicide)? The role of the gods in both should also be discussed.
Through out the entire of The Aeneid, Dido only appears in a fraction of the books so if anything I'd say that it's more of focusing on the lens of their relationship and the storytelling displaying their relationship. There is far much more to The Aeneid beside this such as his long and tasking journey and the battles he had to rigorously fight against both man and gods. – Kmo8 years ago
Can you elaborate on the role of the gods more so??
– williamshackelford7 years ago