• How does Virgil explore Aeneas's internal struggle to deepen the Roman ideal of pietas?
• In what ways does the narrative reward and/or penalize Aeneas for adhering to fate?
• What does Virgil ultimately convey about the personal costs associated with empire-building?

Requirements

• Formulate a clear, arguable thesis in your introduction.
• Use textual evidence (direct quotes or close paraphrase) to bolster each body paragraph.
• Engage with at least one instance where Aeneas's heroism seems morally complex.
• Conclude by linking your argument to Virgil's broader insights on Roman identity and imperial destiny.

Compose a well-structured essay arguing whether Virgil ultimately depicts Aeneas's sacrifice of personal happiness for civic duty as a noble ideal or a tragic necessity. Use specific examples from the epic — including the fall of Troy, the relationship with Dido in Carthage, the journey through the Underworld, and the final showdown with Turnus — to support your argument. Your essay should explore how Virgil employs imagery, characterization, and divine intervention to illustrate his main argument regarding the tension between individual desires and imperial destiny.

Guiding Questions to Consider

• What emotional toll does pietas take on Aeneas, and does Virgil prompt the reader to celebrate or lament that toll?
• How does Dido serve as a contrast to Aeneas's sense of duty?
• What insights does Aeneas's journey to the Underworld (Book VI) provide about the significance of Roman suffering?
• Does the climax of the epic — Aeneas killing Turnus in a fit of rage — complicate or reinforce the heroic ideal that Virgil has crafted?

Requirements

Minimum 5 paragraphs | Textual evidence required | MLA or Chicago citation format