Dido, founder and queen of Carthage, falls in love with the Trojan hero Aeneas and they conduct a passionate affair. Tricked into leaving Dido by an evil Sorceress, Aeneas prepares his fleet in secret for departure. Dido cannot live without Aeneas and sings her great lament (‘When I am laid in earth’) and her passing is mourned by a chorus of cupids.