Book 6 - context & general info Flashcards
Why is book 6 the focal point of the epic
much of what has gone before is resumed in it, and it provides the second half to begin
What are the three main aspects of the book
A setting for Virgil to express and explain his religious thought
The final section is a patriotic expression of the whole poem
The events in the underworld allow Aeneas to grow; they are a personal experience for him that have a profound effect on his character and his resolution
Why must Aeneas look at his past ghosts in this book
A look back in order to move forward - leaving his past behind him putting himself face to face with it
What are the key point of the Sibyls prophecy
The Sibyl’s prophecy: Foretells war in Italy: “I see wars, deadly wars”, a second Troy, a second Achilles, “the cause of all this Trojan suffering will be a foreign bride, another marriage with a stranger”
Why would the Roman reader have recognised elements of the ceremony for Mesenus’ burial
There are Roman elements to the burial e.g. the turning away of the faces, the sacrificial food
