Student Essay on In His Depiction of the Sinon Episode, How Does Virgil Manipulate Audience and Narrator?

In 'The Aeneid' Book Two Virgil employs an interesting and unusual technique with three different layers of narrators-Virgil himself, Aeneas to Dido, and Sinon to the Trojans, this essay explores this idea.

In this particular episode of the Aeneid, Virgil has three different layers of narrators and audiences. This presence of multiple narrators adds a dimension that, I feel, is best explored by addressing them individually. From Sinon's dramatic entrance 'the narrative structure is now Virgil-Aeneas-Sinon: it is as if Aeneas were acting out the role of Sinon for Dido' . The first narrator is obviously Virgil, and his audience is both Augustan Rome and his readers since. For the pro Augustan message of the Aeneid (for example: a 'Trojan Caesar' under whose reign 'wars will be laid aside' ) to work, the Roman readers need to be able identify and feel involved with their ancestors and the events that happen. Aside from his political views it is very difficult to know what Virgil himself thought. His voice.....