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All Site ContentMidsummer Night's DreamAct 1Scene 1
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“Carthage queen”
Mythological Reference
Act 1,
Scene 1
Lines 169-178

An explanation of the reference to Aeneas and Dido, the “Carthage queen,” in Act 1, Scene 1 of myShakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. 

Hermia

I swear to thee by Cupid's strongest bow,
By his best arrow with the golden head,
By the simplicity of Venus' doves,
By that which knitteth souls and prospers loves,
And by that fire which burned the Carthage queen
When the false Trojan under sail was seen,
By all the vows that ever men have broke –
(In number more than ever women spoke) –
In that same place thou hast appointed me
Tomorrow truly will I meet with thee.

Shakespeare’s works include many allusions to classical literature. Here, he’s referencing the figure Aeneas, a hero of the Trojan War, whose story is depicted in the Roman epic, Aeneid, by Virgil. Hermia is referencing a story from the Aeneid, in which the Trojan prince Aeneas, having survived the sacking of Troy, makes his way to the North African city of Carthage where he seduces the queen, Dido. Although she falls madly in love with him, Aeneas believes he is destined for greater adventures. As he sails away, the broken-hearted queen throws herself onto a burning funeral pyre.

Aeneas leaving Dido, Giovanni Francesco, c. 1630-1635