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Jun 2011
The Aeneid - Virgil, tr. C Day Lewis - Oxford World Classics,
* * * *
I was inspired to read this by Ursual Le Guin's Lavinia and I can now see why she thought it was worth writing a story set in that highly patriarchal world. For despite the gruesome depictions of war and the divine and human politics, Virgil clearly was aware that some of his readers would be women and ensures that there are several strong female characters. It is telling that the divine movers and shakers of the story are both women - the vengeful Juno and Aeneas' mother Venus. Amongst the mortals, the most famous female character is Dido, who, despite going into a hysterical frenzy when Aeneas announces his intention to depart, is generally sympathetically treated as a tragic heroine whose love is thwarted by the machinations of the gods. There are other significant characters, such as the Sybil, who guides Aeneas through the underworld in Book VI. Virgil clearly likes his warrior maidens, and makes Camilla's exploits in Book XI an emotional high. The nymph Juturna is a major player in the final pages. Despite all these female elements, however, the story is very much a man’s tale.
( Read more... )
The Aeneid - Virgil, tr. C Day Lewis - Oxford World Classics,
* * * *
I was inspired to read this by Ursual Le Guin's Lavinia and I can now see why she thought it was worth writing a story set in that highly patriarchal world. For despite the gruesome depictions of war and the divine and human politics, Virgil clearly was aware that some of his readers would be women and ensures that there are several strong female characters. It is telling that the divine movers and shakers of the story are both women - the vengeful Juno and Aeneas' mother Venus. Amongst the mortals, the most famous female character is Dido, who, despite going into a hysterical frenzy when Aeneas announces his intention to depart, is generally sympathetically treated as a tragic heroine whose love is thwarted by the machinations of the gods. There are other significant characters, such as the Sybil, who guides Aeneas through the underworld in Book VI. Virgil clearly likes his warrior maidens, and makes Camilla's exploits in Book XI an emotional high. The nymph Juturna is a major player in the final pages. Despite all these female elements, however, the story is very much a man’s tale.
( Read more... )
