Aeneas

### Common Answer: **Dido and Aeneas / Aeneas**

Both *Dido and Aeneas* by Henry Purcell and the figure of Aeneas from mythology (as chronicled in Vergil's *Aeneid*) appear frequently in quiz bowl questions. These works and characters are deeply intertwined through their themes and events, particularly focusing on the tragic love story between the Trojan hero Aeneas and the Carthaginian queen Dido. 

Henry Purcell's *Dido and Aeneas* is a Baroque opera that adapts this narrative from Vergil's *Aeneid*, using a libretto by Nahum Tate. It was first performed in the late 17th century and remains celebrated for its expressive music and dramatic depth, particularly Dido's lament, "When I am Laid in Earth." In the mythology, Aeneas is a Trojan hero destined to found the lineage that will lead to the creation of Rome. His story is steeped in themes of duty versus passion, exemplified by his abandonment of Dido, who kills herself after he leaves to fulfill his destiny.

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### Key Context for *Dido and Aeneas*

1. **Structure and Music**: The opera is in three acts and includes elements like choruses, dances (e.g., the witches’ dance and sailors’ dance), and solo arias. A famous example is Dido’s Lament, built on a repeating ground bass.

2. **Dido’s Tragedy**: The opera emphasizes the heartbreak of Dido, who, after being abandoned by Aeneas, sings her lament and dies of grief.

3. **Libretto**: The opera simplifies and modifies elements from Vergil’s *Aeneid*, adding new characters like the Sorceress and witches who conspire against Dido and Aeneas.

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### Key Context for Aeneas (Mythological Figure)

1. **Role in the *Aeneid***: Aeneas is a pious hero who flees Troy after its fall, carrying his father Anchises and leading his son Ascanius. He journeys to Italy, overcoming obstacles, visiting the underworld with the help of the Sibyl, and engaging in a climactic battle with Turnus.

2. **Relationship with Dido**: In Carthage, Aeneas has a passionate affair with Dido. However, Mercury reminds him of his destiny, prompting him to leave her. Dido curses Aeneas and dies on a funeral pyre.

3. **Founding of Rome**: Aeneas’s descendants, particularly Romulus and Remus, are said to establish Rome, connecting his story to Roman cultural identity.

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### Clues Used Across Multiple Questions (Sorted by Frequency)

1. **Dido's Lament ("When I Am Laid in Earth")**  

   - This famous aria from *Dido and Aeneas* exemplifies Baroque opera and uses a chromatic ground bass to express Dido’s sorrow.

   - Mentioned in both opera and mythology questions, as Dido’s grief is central to her narrative.

2. **Aeneas Abandons Dido**  

   - A common theme in mythology questions, focusing on Aeneas leaving Dido for his destiny. In opera questions, this is referenced when Mercury (or an elf disguised as him) convinces Aeneas to leave Carthage.

3. **Sorceress and Witches in the Opera**  

   - Unique to Purcell’s opera, the witches plot Dido’s downfall, highlighting the creative liberties taken in the libretto.

4. **Dido’s Death on the Funeral Pyre**  

   - Integral to both the myth and the opera, this tragic moment is often referenced, emphasizing her heartbreak after Aeneas’s departure.

5. **Ground Bass in Dido’s Lament**  

   - Frequently cited as a hallmark of Baroque music, the descending chromatic line in "When I Am Laid in Earth" is a textbook example of this technique.

6. **Aeneas’s Destiny**  

   - Commonly mentioned in mythology questions, highlighting his duty to leave Carthage and fulfill his role in founding the Roman lineage.

7. **The Cumaean Sibyl and the Underworld**  

   - Often used in mythology questions about Aeneas’s journey in the *Aeneid*. The Sibyl guides him, and he carries the golden bough to gain entrance.

8. **Belinda (Dido’s Maidservant)**  

   - A character unique to the opera, often referenced in questions about Dido’s confidante and her role in comforting Dido.

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### Related Quizbowl Facts with Fill-in-the-Blank Practice

1. The aria "When I Am Laid in Earth" from *Dido and Aeneas* is often referred to as Dido's ___1___, a famous example of Baroque ground bass.  

2. In the opera, a Sorceress and her ___2___ conspire against Dido and Aeneas.  

3. Aeneas leaves Dido after being visited by ___3___, reminding him of his destiny.  

4. In the *Aeneid*, Aeneas descends to the underworld with the help of the ___4___ Sibyl.  

5. Aeneas carries his father ___5___ out of the burning city of Troy.  

6. After Aeneas leaves, Dido builds a ___6___ and dies on it.  

7. Aeneas is a son of the goddess ___7___, also known as Aphrodite.  

8. Aeneas’s son Ascanius is also called ___8___ in Roman mythology.  

9. The opera *Dido and Aeneas* was composed by ___9___ Purcell.

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### Answers:

1. Lament  

2. Witches  

3. Mercury  

4. Cumaean  

5. Anchises  

6. Funeral pyre  

7. Venus  

8. Iulus  

9. Henry

### Frequency Analysis of Clues, References, or Plot Lines Related to *Dido and Aeneas* and *The Aeneid*:

#### *Dido and Aeneas*:

1. **Dido’s Lament ("When I am Laid in Earth")** – 20 occurrences: The aria sung by Dido before her death, making extensive use of a chromatic ground bass, is the opera's most famous piece.

2. **The witches and their influence** – 14 occurrences: The inclusion of witches in the opera, who plot to disrupt Dido and Aeneas's relationship, diverges from the *Aeneid* source material.

3. **Belinda’s role as Dido’s confidante** – 12 occurrences: Belinda comforts Dido and participates in several key arias and recitatives, including "Thy hand, Belinda."

4. **The sailor’s song in Act III ("Come Away, Fellow Sailors")** – 8 occurrences: A nautical tune that contrasts with the opera's tragic elements.

5. **The use of ground bass** – 7 occurrences: As a defining musical technique, particularly prominent in Dido’s lament.

6. **Aeneas being tricked by a spirit posing as Mercury** – 6 occurrences: This deception leads to Aeneas's departure from Carthage.

7. **The triumphing dance and chaconne** – 5 occurrences: Dance music included at the end of Act I and other parts of the opera, showcasing Purcell’s baroque style.

#### *The Aeneid*:

1. **Aeneas’s affair with Dido and her suicide** – 30 occurrences: Central to both *The Aeneid* and *Dido and Aeneas*, this tragic relationship defines Dido's character arc and sets up Carthage's enmity with Rome.

2. **Aeneas escaping Troy with Anchises and Ascanius** – 22 occurrences: The pivotal scene where Aeneas carries his father and leads his son from burning Troy, often accompanied by the ghost of Creusa.

3. **The golden bough and descent to the underworld** – 20 occurrences: Aeneas’s journey to the underworld, guided by the Cumaean Sibyl, includes encounters with his father Anchises and other spirits.

4. **The duel with Turnus and the killing of Pallas** – 15 occurrences: Aeneas's climactic battle with Turnus, sparked by Turnus's killing of Pallas, underscores themes of duty and revenge.

5. **The shield of Aeneas** – 12 occurrences: Depicted with scenes of Roman history, including the Battle of Actium, this ekphrasis mirrors the shield of Achilles in *The Iliad*.

6. **Anchises showing Aeneas the future of Rome in Elysium** – 10 occurrences: Anchises’s vision inspires Aeneas to fulfill his destiny.

7. **The prophecy of the harpy Celaeno about "eating their tables"** – 7 occurrences: A cryptic prediction that Aeneas’s crew will unknowingly eat their table-like bread loaves, later fulfilled.

8. **The gates of horn and ivory in the underworld** – 6 occurrences: Aeneas’s exit through the gate of false dreams raises interpretive debates about his journey.