To what extent can the Aeneid be viewed as a tragedy? Answer with reference to the: Destruction of Troy and its people; suffering of Aeneas; suffering and death of Dido?

Apart from the events of Book IV, the Aeneid cannot be viewed as a tragedy to the extent of classifying it as a tragedy. Instead, whilst it contains certain elements of tragedy, the epic nature of the story and the final victory of Aeneas over Turnus draws a sharp contrast between the elements typical to tragic literature.
The Greeks, creators of tragedy, defined it as a work that summons in the audience feelings of pity for the character, and fear that such events could also happen to them, as is the case of Sophocle's Oedipus, Aeschylus' Niobe, and all great Greek tragedy. The Aeneid ho…