Which author argues that Dido is portrayed as a victim of circumstances and the gods?

Which author argues that Dido is portrayed as a victim of circumstances and the gods?

• A. Fiachra Mac Gorain - Aeneas and Augustan values
• B. Richard Rutherford - Allecto and Turnus
• C. Damien Nelis - Structure of book 4
• D. Ian Du Quesnay - Characterisation of Dido

Answer: (D)

Dido’s portrayal in the Aeneid is best understood as a tragedy shaped by forces beyond her control, including divine intervention and fate. Ian Du Quesnay argues precisely this in his work on Dido’s characterization, showing that her downfall stems from the gods’ schemes and the larger arc of Rome’s destiny rather than from a simple personal failing. By analyzing how Juno’s and Venus’s actions, along with the epic’s imperial pressures, constrain Dido’s choices and intensify her emotional arc, he presents Dido as a victim of circumstance. The other scholars focus on different aspects—Aeneas and Augustan values, the divine agents Allecto and Turnus, or the narrative structure of Book 4—so they don’t center on Dido’s character in the way needed to argue victimhood due to the gods and circumstance, making this author the most fitting match.