Fate in The Aeneid - Essay Example

25 June Fate in The Aeneid Virgil’s The Aeneid narrates the plight of Aeneas and the Trojans, as they fled from their destroyed city, and get washed out to Dido’s North African city of Carthage. They also travel to the underworld at Cumae, near Naples, to learn more about their future. Books 1 to 6 have parallels to The Odyssey, because Aeneas goes through numerous ordeals like Odysseus, where his skills and intelligence, as well as the assistance from Venus, help him and his people survive their every tribulation. Unlike Odysseus, Aeneas is responsible for the fate of his people and several times, Vergil differentiates between what Aeneas wants and what fate necessitates him to do. In The Aeneid, human beings lack free will, because the gods have ordained their fates, and those that the gods favor, like Aeneas, will be destined to greatness, despite the sacrifices and troubles he has to endure. Fate brings people to their destinies, even if their personal preferences clash with divine will. Jupiter tells Venus that Aeneas is destined to rule Italy. He stresses that Aeneas will soon win his battles in life: “In Italy shall wage successful war,/Shall tame fierce nations in the bloody field,/ And sov'reign laws impose, and cities build” (Virgil Book 1). He says this to calm Venus’ fears for Juno. He continues to narrate the rise of Rome and its great emperors: “Then Romulus his grandsire's throne shall gain,/Of martial tow'rs the founder shall become,/The people Romans call, the city Rome./To them no bounds of empire I assign” (Virgil Book 1). His speech indicates that the gods have long planned the fates of humanity- including their rise to and fall from power. Virgil demonstrates that the jpurney of Rome to its apex is a product of Jupiter’s will. The Ghost of Anchises also reveals to Aeneas, the future great Roman leaders, such as: “Silvius Aeneas, for thy name he bears;/For arms and justice equally renown'd,/Who, late restor'd, in Alba shall be crown'd” (Virgil Book 6). They also see the first roman emperor, Caesar: “The mighty Caesar waits his vital hour,/ Impatient for the world, and grasps his promis'd pow'r” (Virgil Book 6). Fate is binding and permanent and no one can change it. Even if Aeneas wants to do things his way, he cannot, because he has to follow the gods and promote the interests of his people. He reluctantly leaves Troy, for instance, before it is captured. He prefers fighting and dying for Troy: “Resolv'd on death, resolv'd to die in arms” (Virgil Book 2). But the Ghost of Hector already warns him that Troy is lost. Moreover, when Aeneas sees the Ghost of Dido, he feels remorse that she committed suicide because of him: “Unwilling I forsook your friendly state,/Commanded by the gods, and forc'd by fate-/Those gods, that fate, whose unresisted might/ Have sent me to these regions void of light” (Virgil Book 6). He asserts that many of his actions are done, because of compliance to what the gods want. Several ghosts help Aeneas along the way, where they serve as the means of attaining his destiny. The Ghost of Creusa gives instructions to her husband. She says: “On Latium's happy shore you shall be cast,/Where gentle Tiber from his bed beholds/The flow'ry meadows, and the feeding folds./There end your toils; and there your fates provide” (Virgil Book 2). In this land, he will acquire his new kingdom and new wife. She no longer thinks of her lost life, but for the glory that her husband will attain for the Trojans. The Ghost of Hector, in addition, informs Aeneas that Troy will soon be captured. He tells him to leave and to find a new city for them, which is assured, since it is in the will of the gods: “Now Troy to thee commends her future state,/And gives her gods companions of thy fate” (Virgil Book 2). Aeneas brings with him the Lares and Penates, the statues of the household gods of Troy, and transported them to Italy. It shows his gratitude to the gods that give him good fortune, however complex his challenges might be, and even if he is half-hearted in leaving his birthplace. The gods decree misfortune too, and Aeneas and his people will have to go through numerous tribulations before they arrive at Italy and build their own kingdom. The Trojans stole livestock, which belonged to the Harpies. They are grimy flying creatures with women’s faces. Celaeno, the queen of the Harpies, tells that them they are fated to reach Italy, but they are also destined to suffer along the way: “Th' Italian shores are granted you to find,…But know, that ere your promis'd walls you build,/My curses shall severely be fulfill'd./ Fierce famine is your lot for this misdeed,/Reduc'd to grind the plates on which you feed” (Virgil Book 3). Since she also has powers, she can inflict hurdles along the fate of mankind. The gods also control tragedies, even for well-known and good people. Marcellus, for instance, is destined to die young and to never reach his full potential: “This youth (the blissful vision of a day)/ Shall just be shown on earth, and snatch'd away” (Virgil Book 6). Hence, the gods bring success and misfortune to people. They alone can control their lives. Fate serves to assert the power of the gods over people. The Aeneid demonstrates the sharp difference between Aeneas’ personal preferences and his destiny. He cannot do what he wants, for he must follow the prophecies and advices of the ghosts he meets. These are oracles of his future, which is intertwined with the destiny of his people. He has a grand destiny, but the responsibility of ensuring its materialization also burdens him, especially when along the way, he loses family and friends. Nevertheless, Aeneas cannot surrender to his sorrows and weaknesses. His fate is sealed and he cannot overturn it. And Rome- it awaits his leadership. Work Cited Virgil. The Aeneid. Trans. Robert Fagles. New York: Viking, 2006. Print. Read More