‘Ascanius is more of a plot device than a fully realised character’ (20)

Very rough and brief plan:Paragraph one: Ascanius is a plot device, but this does not preclude Virgil from showing us elements of his characterHe is manipulated by the gods to make Dido fall in love with Aeneas (leading to her downfall)- functions as a plot deviceHowever- instances where he is a plot device & his character emerges- e.g. killing Silvia's deer (leads to war in Latium but also allows us to see his youthful foolishness), and 'look! we are even eating our tables' (allows prophecy to be fulfilled whilst also providing us with insight into Ascanius' funny and babyish innocence)Paragraph two: we see Ascanius' growth from infans to iuvenis is a continuous theme in this epic- not just a deviceat first he is a 'baby by [Aeneas'] side', but by book 9 he has 'beyond his years a man's load of cares' and by book 12 he is able to abstain from fighting when he is told to (matured past attempting to kill mountain lions/deer purely for the glory (book 4&7)), yet metes out 'death-dealing blows'- he has blossomed into the staunch and fearsome ideal Roman Warrior. However this could be read as Virgil using Ascanius as a propagandistic device- he provides a moral template for Roman youth to strive for.- nothing in this highly propagandistic poem is 'just characterisation'- there is always a current of cultural comment running underneath.Paragraph three: he is a device used to widen our understanding of Aeneas' character. The existence of a son allows Aeneas to fulfil the role of the paterfamilias- we see this in action in Book 12 'from me you can learn courage and hard toil'- by teaching Ascanius core Roman values through fulfilling a supremely Roman role- Aeneas appears as the ideal Roman & a moral template for the Roman audiencetherefore yet again we see him as a device used to further propaganda, but there are instances where he rounds Aeneas' character whilst also functioning as a plot device- e.g. Aeneas cites him as a reason for him leaving Carthage ('I think of Ascanius and the wrongs I am doing him'- this both allows Aeneas to leave Carthage & to travel to his destiny, but also showcases his piety for his sonCONCLUSION: Ascanius is to a certain extent used as a plot device, but this does not preclude him from being a fully rounded character- instances where he provides crucial plot points are also instances where Virgil shows us his character. However, he is also used as a propaganda device and a device to show Aeneas' character: nature of the Aeneid is not to let a character be one thing in the text- Ascanius is used by Virgil as a character in his own right, but also as a plot, character and propaganda device.(all my formatting keeps getting removed and I'm not sure how to retain it- originally this plan was in bullet points)