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OCR A2 Latin Verse June 16th and then Prose June 23rd

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Original post by strangephenomena

Is anybody bothering to revise the two passages that came up last year? I covered the beginning with the speeches in quite a lot of depth anyway so, should they come up again, I could manage to provide an answer without revising them.

I think the possibilities are the rumour part, Dido at the shrines, the hunt, the storm scene and how Aeneas reacts to Jupiter's message

Reply 61

gryffindorgal

Original post by pandagere

"How does Virgil present Dido's state of mind?" and "To what extent is Dido portrayed as an irresponsible leaders?" seem like two completely separate questions.

For the state of mind, perhaps discuss her obsessive slaughter of animals for sacrifice, her desire to constantly listen to Aeneas' stories (the words iterum and eadem occur often in this part) and her clutching of Ascanius.

The irresponsible leader seems a bit more difficult. You'd definitely have to say that a lot of the information we've been given about Dido's release of her pietas is through the work of Fama- which is pretty distorted anyway. Perhaps it would be good to quote parts later in the book where she thinks that she is hated by her own people.

Oh yeah I meant as different questions I should have made it clear :smile:

I find the rest of the book so confusing :frown:

Dido makes so many speeches I get so confused so i really hope it's not on her!

Reply 62

jsweetie2

does anyone have the june 2013 paper?

Reply 63

strangephenomena

Original post by gryffindorgal

Oh yeah I meant as different questions I should have made it clear :smile:

I find the rest of the book so confusing :frown:

Dido makes so many speeches I get so confused so i really hope it's not on her!

I think I'd be fine with Dido because she's very easy to make a strong argument about. It's almost impossible to read Book Four and not feel either pity for her, or horror and disdain for her actions and the way she tricks Anna.

However, if there was a question on Ascanius in the hunt, I think I'd just cry. I really don't care about the lions and wild goats or whatever it is he's chasing, and the huge discrepancies in his age confuse me. Is he a child or what? :s-smilie:

Reply 64

OBP

However, if there was a question on Ascanius in the hunt, I think I'd just cry. I really don't care about the lions and wild goats or whatever it is he's chasing, and the huge discrepancies in his age confuse me. Is he a child or what? :s-smilie:

There is minimal info on Ascanius from the text. There won't be a question just on him!

Reply 65

strangephenomena

Original post by OBP

There is minimal info on Ascanius from the text. There won't be a question just on him!

Sorry, I didn't mean the theme question. I meant the first one where they give you the passage to comment on.

Reply 66

MakeContact

Original post by strangephenomena

There is minimal info on Ascanius from the text. There won't be a question just on him!

Sorry, I didn't mean the theme question. I meant the first one where they give you the passage to comment on.

To be honest, with all the interesting passages to choose from, I doubt they'd just go for that section, it's so minor. If they did anything from about there, it would probably have to include the Apollo simile.

I'm kind of hoping something on Venus vs Juno or Rumour will come up. That would be kind of nice.

That coupled with Actaeon or one of the more famous myths from the metamorphoses as the unseen would just be amazing.

And yeah Ascanius/Iulus' age...that weirds me out really, I mean in book 2 he's some kind of flaming baby, and book 4 seems to hold true to that when Dido holds him on her lap (really really creepy though), but then he's riding a horse and hunting animals? And only 4 years after Aeneas founds Rome Iulus is suddenly made King?

It really is weird, but to be honest he's fairly minor so Virgil could probably get away with not being specific about his age.

Reply 67

OBP

Original post by MakeContact

To be honest, with all the interesting passages to choose from, I doubt they'd just go for that section, it's so minor. If they did anything from about there, it would probably have to include the Apollo simile.

I'm kind of hoping something on Venus vs Juno or Rumour will come up. That would be kind of nice.

That coupled with Actaeon or one of the more famous myths from the metamorphoses as the unseen would just be amazing.

And yeah Ascanius/Iulus' age...that weirds me out really, I mean in book 2 he's some kind of flaming baby, and book 4 seems to hold true to that when Dido holds him on her lap (really really creepy though), but then he's riding a horse and hunting animals? And only 4 years after Aeneas founds Rome Iulus is suddenly made King?

It really is weird, but to be honest he's fairly minor so Virgil could probably get away with not being specific about his age.

I'm really not looking forward to the metamorphoses unseen part. Relying on the Virgil section to pull me through! What's the best way to prepare for it?

Reply 68

exornatus

Original post by strangephenomena

There is minimal info on Ascanius from the text. There won't be a question just on him!

Sorry, I didn't mean the theme question. I meant the first one where they give you the passage to comment on.

I don't know that the Ascanius bit alone would come up as a language question, as it's only 4 lines. But the hunt in general, perhaps the preparations, or even the cave scene, would be good as there is plenty to say, which would hopefully make up for the less analysis we can do on Ascanius. I expect we'll get about 20 lines; that's roughly the length of Anna's speech.

Reply 69

pandagere

I think the first essay is very very difficult to predict- there are so many poetical devices and linguistic nuances throughout the whole prescription that there aren't many sections which are "more accessible" for an essay.

Reply 70

strangephenomena

Original post by pandagere

Yeah my first essay will probably be a game of 'spot the alliteration and polysyndeton and try to make it fit the question'. It's a very difficult essay to prepare because you can't easily memorise every style note you've made throughout the year.

I feel A LOT more confident about the essay question. The key is just to cover the entire book, quote throughout and throw in wider reading and historical context to impress.

Reply 71

gryffindorgal

Can someone explain the Apollo simile to me? It just seems like Virgil is trying to make Aeneas seem impressive but I don't want to find out I've missed some massive significance!

Reply 72

strangephenomena

Original post by Hackenbacker

So likely candidates for passage A are the following: opening lines, hunt, storm, Juno + Venus, Aeneas + Mercury? Any other thoughts?

Opening lines were covered last year.

Reply 73

exornatus

My teacher thinks that part 2 essays would probably be under Aeneas (his character, sympathy, etc), Dido, the role and/or character of the gods, and perhaps something along the lines of 'Was Aeneas right to leave?' Beyond that, the examiners are clutching at straws, as there aren't that many characters in the book!

That said, they could always surprise us :s-smilie:

Reply 74

strangephenomena

Original post by gryffindorgal

Can someone explain the Apollo simile to me? It just seems like Virgil is trying to make Aeneas seem impressive but I don't want to find out I've missed some massive significance!

Reminds us that Aeneas is semi-divine, he has a god-given duty to found Rome and should honour that piously, and stop the debased and scandalous behaviour with Dido. And he also matches her in his regal splendour, suggesting how close they are.

Reply 75

strangephenomena

Original post by Hackenbacker

I thought that was lines 31-53 for Anna's speech?

I think the opening lines were used as a starting point for the part b essay. I'll check.

Reply 76

strangephenomena

Original post by strangephenomena

I think the opening lines were used as a starting point for the part b essay. I'll check.

Yep. 1-12

Reply 77

exornatus

Original post by gryffindorgal

Can someone explain the Apollo simile to me? It just seems like Virgil is trying to make Aeneas seem impressive but I don't want to find out I've missed some massive significance!

One main area of significance is that Aeneas=Apollo and Dido=Diana (not literally of course). There is a simile of Dido being like Diana in book one, so with this we get to see how similar they are. This ties in to the mention of her 'pharetra' (quiver), an image associated with Diana, and to the general hunting motif which Virgil gets going in their relationship.

There is also the obvious symbolism of the regal gold which he twines into his hair, much like Dido is dressed in gold. I don't think it is that significant beyond this, unless you take the view that Apollo renewing the dancing is similar to or symbolic of Aeneas whipping Dido into a frenzy, but this to me is over-analysis and probably a fairly worthless point.

Reply 78

strangephenomena

Original post by exornatus

I don't think it is that significant beyond this, unless you take the view that Apollo renewing the dancing is similar to or symbolic of Aeneas whipping Dido into a frenzy, but this to me is over-analysis and probably a fairly worthless point.