Virgil's Aeneid discussion.

respond both discussion, and each discussion write at least 300 word. Do not forget to use quotations.

Book: Virgil. "The Aeneid." The Norton Anthology of World Literature 3rd ed. vol. A.

1. Using the Aeneid as our primary evidence, the religious views of the Romans would seem to be extremely deterministic, i.e. that the gods determine the fates of the mortals and that no effort on our part can change the will of the gods. The ongoing conflict between Juno and Venus (often with interventions from other gods and goddesses, espeicially Jove/Jupiter, the "Father" god whose will decides the fates of mortals and whose will is expressly referenced in both the Iliad and the Aeneid), is in many ways the central subplot of the Aeneid, with the human characters simply fulfilling, in elaborate ways, a series of events moving inexorably toward a preordained outcome. How is the conflict between the gods represented in the Aeneid? Why is it important? How does it relate to the humanity of the mortal characters depicted, and what value, if any, does it add to the poem? Is the action of the gods exactly the same in Virgil's poem as it was in Homer's, or do the gods behave and interact with the mortal world differently? In short, what is the meaning of the gods in the Aeneid and is that meaning different in any discernible way from what we find in the Iliad?

2. Discuss the shield of Aeneas. What is the main message Virgil means to convey with the extended description of the shield in Book VIII (pages 1045-1048)? How does this message differ from the shield of Achilles in the Iliad? Why do you think Virgil chooses to echo so exactly this sequence from the Iliad? Virgil clearly wants his readers to compare (and perhaps to contrast) the shield of Aeneas (and his poetic rendition of it and the plot surrounding its creation) with the shield of Achilles. Why? Again, don't forget to use quotations in your response!