Misunderstanding Dido: Silence, Incongruity and Dido in Vergil’s ‘Aeneid’

This thesis examines the incongruity of Dido’s character in Vergil’s Aeneid, whose narrative is shaped by a series of interpretive voids – absences of explanation that, far from signifying an absence of meaning, invite a range of interpretations, some of which are conflicting. Dido’s incongruity is emphasised by a narrative opacity, where literary allusions and thematic devices create interpretive tension without offering clear resolutions. These silences not only enhance the complexity of Dido’s character but also contribute to the Aeneid’s overarching enigmatic quality, resisting any attempt at systematic categorization or definitive understanding.

The thesis begins tracing the development of Vergilian scholarship, with particular attention to the works of Parry, Lyne, and Edgeworth, particularly their respective approaches to the Aeneid’s "other voice," "further voices," and "silences." It challenges the interpretive framework of “voice(s)”, proposing instead that “silence” provides a more suitable framework for approaching passages with ambiguous and inconclusive meanings.

The analysis then shifts to a tripartite study of Dido, structured around her life, her appearance in the afterlife, and her posthumous legacy expressed through gifts in Books 5, 9, and 11. Through this structure, the thesis provides a nuanced account of Dido’s role, contending that she is essential – yet frequently underestimated – in unveiling the poem’s most conceptually difficult passages.

Ultimately, this study contends that Dido is a figure who cannot be fully understood, she is characterised by unresolved tensions, and layered meanings whose presence reflects the epic’s resistance to definitive understanding.