Use of Simile in Virgils Aeneid
- This is a preview of the essay.
To view the full text you must login!
As an author, one has certain obligations in terms of information that must be supplied to the reader. Character specifics are imperative if a reader is to know how to appropriately respond to the action of a story. The primary purpose of Vergil's use of simile, therefore, is as a tool by which to better define his main characters. However, simple, straightforward characterization is dry, boring, and unpoetic. Vergil knew this and utilized the opportunity to stretch his mental muscle. Simile was employed because of its relative ambiguity, its ability to force inference from a reader, and its inherently poetic nature.
Vergil's simile compares Dido to Diana and Aeneas to Apollo. The obvious interpretation is that the author is attempting to create a parallel structure between gods and our epic characters. The question, however, lies in his motives for doing so. Gods were beautiful, powerful beings who ruled over vast empires with thousands of subjects...