The Bough and the Lock: Fighting Fate in the Aeneid

This paper examines similarities between Dido’s Lock and the Golden Bough, arguing that the struggle of these objects is linked to the contingency of Fate. It then suggests that the entry of the Trojan Horse into Troy and the sacrifice of Turnus, both of which exhibit similar "hesitation," are symbolically connected to the Lock and the Bough, hinting again that Fate is less ironclad than commonly supposed. It concludes that in his depiction of key "fatal" objects Virgil provides a symbolic language in which to ponder the mystery of Fate and free will.