The Analyzation of Juno

While Juno could be described by a casual viewer as a “stone-cold witch” with no motive other than to make everyone miserable, a closer examination of her character reveals reason behind her actions. Juno is a consistently goal-oriented character throughout the Aeneid, and stops at nothing to try and prevent the downfall of Carthage. Virgil develops Juno through many intense traits, and this essay will discuss how her pride, scheming, and selfishness create a dangerous antagonist for Aeneas and his allies.

Juno is a very prideful character, and being the queen of the gods does nothing but fuel this pride. More than used to getting her way, it’s obvious that the destruction of her beloved Carthage would be something she’d want to put a stop to. However, the Fates don’t allow this. The Trojans are destined to go on to establish Rome, one of the greatest empires in the world, and nothing can keep this from happening (even Juno). Despite showing some understanding of the power of fate, she does not stop plaguing the Trojans. In fact, she becomes even more infuriated at her limitations, vowing that if she cannot get her way, she’ll just “...drag things out / delay the whole affair.” (223.368). Her refusal to truly acknowledge the authority of fate shows her pettiness and pride.

Juno’s pride also leads her to believe that she can get away with whatever she wants. In some cases, she does. When she goes to Aeolus behind Neptune’s back, Aeolus takes the heat from Neptune while Juno emerges scott-free (52.159-164). Despite her escape of Neptune’s wrath, however, the storm does not eliminate the Trojans. Fate continues to take Juno off her pedestal, showing her that not even she, in all her might and glory, can overcome fate.

Although Juno is oftentimes blinded by her pride, there’s more to her than just that. Juno is shown through the story as being very scheming and powerful. Her plots, while never succeeding completely, cause severe damage to the Trojans and their allies. From cursing Dido, bribing Aeolus to create a deadly storm, enlisting the help of a furie, or raising armies against the Trojans, Juno seems to stop at nothing to attempt to ruin the lives of the Trojans. Despite allowing Juno to make the Trojans’ lives miserable, Fate doesn’t allow Juno to kill Aeneas. Aeneas has to go on to establish Rome, and no god has power over that. Fate consistently stops her schemes, letting her know that while she can intervene (to an extent), she cannot prevent the creation of Rome and the ultimate destruction of Carthage.

Carthage is another key point in Juno’s analyzation. It is the driving force behind Juno’s actions. As Rome grows, it is prophesied that it will end up destroying Carthage. Carthage is Juno’s proclaimed and beloved city, and it was said to “...rule the nations of the Earth // if only the Fates were willing.” (48.20-21) Unfortunately for Juno, the Fates were not willing. This greatly angers her, and she wonders why other gods have power to protect their own cities while she does not (223.355-363). Juno is (like many other gods) extraordinarily selfish. She only cares about her city, and shows multiple times throughout the Aeneid that she will destroy anything and anyone who gets in her way.

While Juno tries again and again to eliminate Aeneas and his entourage, Fate does not allow her to prevent the creation of Rome. No number of plans, amount of pride, or even good motive can stop Rome from ultimately being established and destroying Carthage. Juno cannot override Fate, no matter how hard she tries. Closer analyzation of Juno’s character can better help readers to understand why Juno acts the way she does, and why her schemes will never really succeed. Antagonists are a vital part of keeping a story functional, and without Juno (although Aeneas’s life might have been easier), the Aeneid would not have been what it is today.