These two pieces reflect the common theme of leaving a relationship to better oneself and reach one’s goals and aspirations that may be held back by being in a romantic relationship, and two very different people wanting two very different things. In the Aeneid Aenus, granted by some precaution of the gods, realizes that his main goal in life was finding and ruling his own kingdom, not being a docile husband to a wife in a walled empire. After he realizes this he decides to pursue his goal again of searching for a kingdom and to do this he must leave Dido to accomplish this feat and that if he stayed in a romantic relationship with her in Libya he would never travel to Italy to accomplish what he needs to do for his son, his people, but most importantly his destiny. Similarly in the song Bea Miller sings that she is leaving the relationship because it is better for herself and not anything against the other person. She just cannot not achieve happiness while staying with the other romantically and that her and her lover wanted very different things in life and being together was not ideal. Just like for Aenus to achieve his destiny and please his people he must leave the walled kingdom and set out on a journey for his own, he even mentions Dido and is afraid how the queen will take it in her impassioned state and it is inferred he is not leaving her because he loved her any less but because staying there holds him back from what must be completed.
However, in the Aeneid after the gods realize that Aenus is straying from his destiny by being in Dido’s kingdom and falling in love with her the gods make sure to interfere to make sure that Aenus gets back on the track to fulfill his goal. In “It’s not you its me” Bea miller figures out she must leave the relationship all on her own and not from the opinions of the gods. It is interesting how both pieces of work illustrate to achieve what you want and what you must fulfill sometimes a romantic relationship is in the way and must be broken to follow what you want.
Is it for you
To lay the stones for Carthage’s high walls,
Tame husband that you are, and build their city?
Oblivious of your own world, your own kingdom!
From Bright Olympus he that rules the gods
And turns the earth and heaven by his power-
He and no other sent me to you, told me
To Brin this message on the running winds:
What have you in mind? What hope, wasting your days
In Libya? If future history’s glories
Do not affect you, if you will not strive
For your own honor, think of Ascanius,
Think of the expectations of you heir,
Iulus, to whom the Italian realm, the land
Of Rome, are due.
And Mercury, as he spoke,
Departed from the visual field of mortals
To a great distance, ebbed in subtle air.
Amazed, and shocked to the bottom of his soul
By what his eyes had seen, Aeneas felt
His hackles rise, his voice choke in his throat.
As the sharp admonition and command
From heaven had shaken him awake, he now
Burned only to be gone, to leave that land
Of the sweet life behind. What can he do? How tell
The impassioned queen and hope to win her over?
What opening shall he choose? This way and that
He let his mind dart, testing alternatives,
Running through every one.
(Virgil The Aeneid, chapter 4 lines 361-389