Written in the 1593 this is Marlowe's first play. The story , taken from the Aeneid, was becoming more widley available as more Latin works were printed and the market for books expanded. The demand for plays in Elizebthan England was strong and historical dramas set in a remote and therefore politicaly neutral time, were much favoured by producers and writers. The plot is straightforward , describing how Aeneas is diverted to Carthage on his way to Italy where he is tasked by the Gods of founding Rome. There are other refugees from Troy all ready settled in Queen Dido's city and he finds a friendly welcome. There story takes place under the influence of a struggle between the Gods of Olympus and we are given an insight into the sleazy and petty personal struggles between them. Aeneas is Venus/Aphrodite's son and she has a powerful interest in his survival and destiny.

Juno , Jupiter's wife , is angry with Jupiter for his dalliances with Ganymede. Although the nature of this relationship is not explicitly described, it is hardly hidden either . Ganymede is "a female wanton boy". He plays the coquette much to the annoyance of Venus "I would have a jewel for mine ear/ And a fine brooch to put in my hat". He is a prince of pouting. This hint of homosexuality is a much debated theme in Marlowe and of course in Shakespeare and not only in the sonnets . Here it only serves to emphasise that the gods are morally corrupt and humanity at the mercy of their personal foibles. Even the business of the founding of Rome is delayed because of their indulgent lifestyles. Venus asks Jupiter to ensure that Aeneas's ship is not destroyed while at sea. Jupiter agrees and instead it is directed to the safe shores of Libya and Carthage.

Standing on the shoulder's of giants we can summerise the rest of the plot:

Dido's suitor, Iarbas, presses her to agree to marry him. She seems to favour him, but Venus has
other plans. She disguises Cupid as Aeneas's son Ascanius, so that he can get close to Dido and
touch her with his arrow. He does so; Dido immediately falls in love with Aeneas and rejects Iarbas
out of hand, to his horror and confusion. Dido's sister Anna, who is in love with Iarbas, encourages
Dido to pursue Aeneas. Dido and Aeneas meet at a cave, where Dido declares her love. They enter the
cave to make love. Iarbas swears he will get revenge. Venus and Juno appear, arguing over
Aeneas. Venus believes that Juno wants to harm her son, but Juno denies it, saying she has important
plans for him.

Aeneas's followers say they must leave Libya, to fulfil their destiny in Italy. Aeneas seems to
agree, and prepares to depart. Dido sends Anna to find out what is happening. She brings Aeneas
back, who denies he intended to leave. Dido forgives him, but as a precaution removes all the sails
and tackle from his ships. She also places Ascanius in the custody of the Nurse, believing that
Aeneas will not leave without him. However, "Ascanius" is really the disguised Cupid. Dido says that
Aeneas will be king of Carthage and anyone who objects will be executed. Aeneas agrees and plans to
build a new city to rival Troy and strike back at the Greeks.

Mercury appears with the real Ascanius (a.k.a. Cupid) and informs Aeneas that his destiny is in
Italy and that he must leave on the orders of Jupiter. Aeneas reluctantly accepts the divine
command. Iarbas sees the opportunity to be rid of his rival and agrees to supply Aeneas with the
missing tackle. Aeneas tells Dido he must leave. She pleads with him to ignore Jupiter's command,
but he refuses to do so. He departs, leaving Dido in despair. The Nurse says that "Ascanius" has
disappeared. Dido orders her to be imprisoned. She tells Iarbas and Anna that she intends to make a
funeral pyre on which she will burn everything that reminds her of Aeneas. After cursing Aeneas'
progeny, she throws herself into the fire. Iarbas, horrified, kills himself too. Anna, seeing Iarbas
dead, kills herself.

That's Wikipedia's detailed summary. Reading between those dry descriptions you could say that the play was a tradegy with magical transformations , murderous family quarels , supressed sexualities , war crimes , refugees and was centered on the exploitation of an African queen. And you would be right to do so. These are all possible themes of the play and if you were taking part as an actor or cultural worker you should try and bring these to the audience. The problem is though that the text would work against these interpretations. The language has fewer possible points of interpretation than let us say other well known Elizabethan playwrights.

Dido is the chief victim of all this , along with the citizens of Carthage and her immediate family. But Dido's death lacks emotional impact in this version. We just can't identify with her suffering without knowing something about her, and this is not developed in the play. The gods are not monsters but they have few redeemable qualities.They are not to be held in awe or even feared. The outstanding section of the play, in the performance I listened to, was Aeneas's description of the fall of Troy. His description was powerful and moving. The attacking Greeks were the absent monsters of this play and their crimes should echo through the ages by his account.

On whose sterne faces shin'd the quenchles fire,
That after burnt the pride of Asia.

And at the end, after the defeat, the final, anguished look over a burning Troy

And looking from a turret, might behold
Yong infants swimming in their parents bloud,
Headles carkasses piled up in heapes,
Virgins halfe dead dragged by their golden haire,
And with maine force flung on a ring of pikes,
Old men with swords thrust through their aged sides,
Kneeling for mercie to a Greekish lad,
Who with steele Pol-axes dasht out their braines.

And this after having witnessed the brutal slaying of King Priam. His sons dead, his kingdom vanished, an old man begging for mercy.

O let me live, great Neoptolemus.
Not mov'd at all, but smiling at his teares,
This butcher whil'st his hands were yet held up,
Treading upon his breast, strooke off his hands.

This description was both vivid and felt like listening to an eye witness account. I saw Troy fall and this was what it was like. I was there.

Listening to blank verse of this quality it is easy to think that this is a normal rendition of English speech, rather than a highly technical art. The distancing effect for modern audiences is a useful effect in a play based on myths and legends. Are there less quotable sections or perfect turns of phrase than in the plays of Shakespeare? It feels that way , but the natural sounding nature of the dialogue can only have come from a writer of the highest rank. It is true that the play lacks one strong central character that holds the narrative together. This is mainly because the play is short, and at under an hour not really long enough to develop the emotional depth of its characters. But what we have, is at times a moving and sometimes ironic story of a mythic hero and a Queen who both fall victim to fate and the cruel whims of the Gods.