The unhappiness which leads to her suicide is the result of the intervention of the gods.

The unhappiness which leads to her suicide is the result of the intervention of the gods.

• A. Damien Nelis
• B. Ian Du Quesnay
• C. Susanna Morton Braund
• D. Gildenhard and Henderson

Answer: (B)

In Virgil’s Aeneid, the tragic turn of Dido’s life is often read as being propelled not just by her own passions but by the intervention of the gods, whose plans shape the sequence of events that lead to her unhappiness and ultimately her suicide. This view emphasizes divine agency as a key driver of the outcome, rather than attributing it solely to human feelings or fate alone. Ian Du Quesnay is known for arguing that the gods’ meddling is essential to understanding Dido’s fate, making this interpretation the best match for the statement. The other scholars listed are linked to different aspects of Virgil study—rhetorical, contextual, or broader reception—rather than centering the divine intervention as the decisive cause of Dido’s death.

In Virgil’s Aeneid, the tragic turn of Dido’s life is often read as being propelled not just by her own passions but by the intervention of the gods, whose plans shape the sequence of events that lead to her unhappiness and ultimately her suicide. This view emphasizes divine agency as a key driver of the outcome, rather than attributing it solely to human feelings or fate alone. Ian Du Quesnay is known for arguing that the gods’ meddling is essential to understanding Dido’s fate, making this interpretation the best match for the statement. The other scholars listed are linked to different aspects of Virgil study—rhetorical, contextual, or broader reception—rather than centering the divine intervention as the decisive cause of Dido’s death.