The Tragedy Of Dido As A Tragic Character In Aeneas

Dido, which is the important female character to Aeneas, is no doubt that can be viewed as a tragic character in the book. In fact, she is not completely a tragic character until she has met Aeneas. Though her first husband, Sychaeus died and left her alone, she has found Carthage and became the actual ruler of the city. She has earned a good reputation among her citizens before she has met Aeneas. Therefore, Dido has not become a tragic character until she falls in love with Aeneas and dies for him. Her love with Aeneas and her death make her a tragic character. Here comes to the question, is the tragic of Dido caused by herself or the other characters in the book?

“Why do I live on?”(4.446) Dido says that to Aeneas when she is confronting him. Hence, we know that Dido puts herself in their relationship deeply resulting in she cannot accept Aeneas leaves her. She becomes furious “I hope and pray …you will drink your punishment / I shall come after you with my black fires/ The news will reach me even among the lowest of the dead!”(4. 530-538) and turned her love to hate towards Aeneas. She chooses to put an end to her life: "so broken in mind by suffering, Dido caught her fatal madness and resolved to die" (4.656-657). Dido curses Aeneas before she dies: "let him not, even so, enjoy his kingdom or the life he longs for, but fall in battle before his time and lie unburied on the sand!" (4.857-63) since she loved Aeneas, but he has already left her. That’s why we can say