Aeneid Case

Through the Aeneid, Virgil shows that while the epic is about the journey of Aeneas, a man, women are the dominant characters. These women are almost all fully developed individuals and are powerful, which does not fit the literary stereotype of women being weak and submissive. The women of the Aeneid are the opposite of this, and are opinionated and quick to react. They all have power, but their power is highly influenced by their emotions, especially that of rage. These women and Goddesses allow their emotions to dictate their reactions and decisions in the story, which influences how these women rule and are viewed by society. These powerful women contribute to the overall meaning of the epic in general, showing not only how influential women are, but also the importance of anger in the epic.

The first powerful woman to be seen in the epic is the goddess Juno who is introduced even before Aeneas, whom is supposed to be the epics hero. Virgil immediately shows Juno's rage by introducing her as "savage" (1. 4) and goes on to list all the grievances Juno has against Aeneas and the Trojans. Virgil states, "One was the Judgment of Paris that bypassed her beauty. Hate for Troy evilled her eye. Add Ganymede, raped and exalted" (1. 28-29). Juno's bruised ego from Paris' judgment is what first motivates her revenge and her aggressive behavior. Juno goes on to immediately show her wrath by begging for Aeolus, the ruler of the winds, help. She tells him to "make your winds hurricanes! Shatter their navy! Sink them, or split their forces and litter the waves with their bodies!" (1. 68-70). Juno's anger only gets worse as the epic goes on and while she knows she can never stop Aeneus from fulfilling his destiny, will delay it as long as she can. She states, " I, Jove's mighty wife, though, I, who couldn't leave any Challenge untried or direction unprobed, am denied my fulfillment ... If I can't influence powers above, I'll move Acheron's waters...there is room to prolong and delay these momentous proceedings" (7. 308-315). Juno also sends Iris, her messenger, who transforms into Beroe, a wife of an old Trojan man. Further showing the quick anger of women, Iris stirs the women of Troy into a riot by playing into their fears of further war and journeys. Virgil states that, "she snatched up a menacing firebrand, raised it up high in her hand, whirled flames into fury and hurled it far. Now the minds of the women of Troy had been roused to attention" (5. 641-645). These women immediately let their emotions and fears take over and as Virgil states, "...energized by their fury, the women burst into one great scream, seized burning logs from the sacred hearths. Some plunder the alters of wreaths, leafy branches, and torches" (5. 659-662). Iris is literally spreading rage to the women of Troy through the symbol of fire when she distributes the torches.