Christina Tully

Dido and Aeneas

Character Analysis: Chorus Member

Henry Purcells Dido and Aeneas was Englands first opera. Though no original score in

Purcells hand exists, we can infer that the opera was composed no earlier than 1688, as it was

first performed at a girls school in Chelsea, London in 1689. It is important to note that since

the work was presented by an all-female cast, its possible that the original score did not contain

a tenor or baritone vocal line. Not only was this Purcells first (and sole) all-sung opera, but it

included large-scale scale dance numbers and presented the idea of witchcraft, a great

controversy in Elizabethan England.

The operas storyline was borrowed and adapted from Virgils epic Latin poem, Aeneid.

It chronicles the love between Dido, Queen of Carthage and Aeneas of Troy. Aeneas has fled

Troy after his defeat in the Trojan War and has subsequently begun a passionate affair with Dido.

All is well until a group of witches who seek vengeance against Dido urge Aeneas to fulfill his

destiny and be the founder of the Roman Empire. The witches successfully convince Aeneas to

do so, and he leaves Dido. The heartbroken queen is unable to bear her grief, and commits

suicide.

An important component of my character research was to ascertain what made Dido and

Aeneas so unique from other works of the time. Through my research, I have determined that the

most notable plot elements are the works heavy focus on witchcraft/dark magic, and the death of

a protagonist. The 16th century marked a paradigm shift in Englands strictly Roman Catholic
religion, opening minds to the idea of other denominations of Christianity. Those these sects

often had conflicting views, they held a common belief that [witches] would make a diabolical

pact with evil spirits and appeal to their intervention (Tudor Enthusiast, 2012). Witches were

thought to be old, ugly women and the persecutions of those presumed to be a witch were quite

gruesome. That said, a plot that so heavily features witchcraft was inherently controversial.

One can see the irony in the misogynistic nature of witch folklore and the fact that the

original work was performed by an all-female cast. Another distinct characteristic of this work

was the death of a protagonist. In this era, it was common to see a protagonist face strife, but the

death of a major character was almost unprecedented. The fact that Didos is the result of

suicide-a mortal sin-adds to the shock value of an opera in the Elizabethan Era.

Dido and Aeneas is consists of three acts separated into five distinct scenes and their

respective locations. Over the course of the show, the Chorus will play as witches, sailors,

courtiers and cupids. Act One takes place in Didos court, with Belinda and the Second Women

convincing Dido to ultimately accept Aeneas proposal of marriage. The ensemble women are

present, watching the action, and join Belinda and the Second Women in their persuasion through

song. The ensemble joins the major players for The Triumphing Dance at the close of the act.

Act Two, Scene One takes place in The Witches Cave and exposes the witches plot to harm

Dido; the ensemble joins the witches in song and the Eccho Dance, with which the scene

closes. Act Two, Scene Two takes place in a grove amidst a hunt; Dido and Aeneas are together.

The ensemble contributes to the scene through song and background busy work. Hearing

thunder, Dido and Belinda usher all expect for Aeneas offstage to take shelter. A Spirit

approaches him and urges him to leave Carthage to fulfill his destiny; he agrees and prepares to

leave Carthage. Act Three begins at the ships; having thought further about his decision, Aeneas
tells Dido of his initial intentions but says he will defy The Spirit in order to stay with her. Dido

refuses him for having ever intended to leave her, and he sets sail with the Trojan fleet. The

Chorus has watched this unfold, and witnesses Didos final lament and subsequent suicide as the

scene transitions to the palace. They close the opera in song, ordering the cupids to scatter roses

on her tomb, soft and gentle as her heart. Keep here your watch, and never, never, never part.

My intention as a member of the Chorus is to enrich the action of the featured characters

as much as possible. Since we have a small cast, female chorus members will immediately

transition from Didos women of the court in Act One to witches at the top of Act Two. We will

then transition to common townspeople in Act Two, Scene Two and remain as such for rest of the

show. With this in mind, I do not plan to create a distinct character for myself. Rather, I will put

my efforts toward blending in with The Chorus as a unit and enriching the stage picture as a

whole. I have a very open mind about this process and imagine my ideas about my personal

performance will develop (and perhaps change entirely) as we add in new elements and take our

work into the space.

References:

"Witchcraft in 16th & 17th Century England." The Tudor Enthusiast. Web. 19 Jan. 2016.
"Henry Purcell's Dido & Aeneas: Summary, Myth & Analysis | Study.com." Study.com. Web. 19

Jan. 2016.