Irony In Dido's 'Aeneas'

Dido is portrayed as a character driven by emotion, and that her actions are out of her control. For example her actions when she discovers that Aeneas is to leave Carthage as Bacchic. This is emphasised even more by the fact that Dido is made to love Aeneas by Venus. It as if Dido has no agency in her life.
Dido is a character which the gods use for the own ends with little care about her wellbeing. There is shown when Dido is sceptical that the gods would send messages to Aeneas. As for her to know the gods wishes she has to pray at temples and give sacrifices, but for Aeneas the gods come personally to him.
We are able to sympathise with Dido because of the dramatic irony caused by the fact that all the readers know that Aeneas doesn’t stay in Carthage, and so as Dido becomes more and more attached to Aeneas, we feel sorry for her. Her last ditch attempt to send Anna to negotiate is another futile gesture.

However on the other hand, she is shown to be spiteful, like when she curses Rome.

Her grievance was with Aeneas, but she decided that the whole of Rome should be punished for his transgressions, and because of her, her people also suffered as they were wiped out when they went to war with Rome.
There is much symmetry between Cleopatra and Dido, both are Africans, both fall in love with a roman, and both lead their men astray. However Anthony remains with her queen, whereas Aeneas leaves

dido.
Also when she commits suicides, she is leaving her people, who went with her in exile, leaderless. This is a selfish act as a Queen must put her people before her own petty emotions, this is further compounded by the fact that Carthage is surrounded by hostile African tribes, which is made worse by the rejection of Iarbas. and is also is in the middle of being built. This is the least suitable time she could have chosen to commit suicide.
Lastly Dido at the end of book 4 finally takes her life into her own hands, when she commits suicide. Up to this point she was the gods play thing, it is tragic that the first time she in in control of her life is when she takes it. It also shows the lengths that Dido has to go, for Juno to take notice of her, only when she dies does Juno care about her wellbeing and send someone to allow her to go to the underworld.