Who Turnus is
Turnus leads the Rutulians, one of the Italian peoples drawn into conflict with Aeneas and the Trojans. He fights to keep these newcomers out of Italy, where their arrival unsettles hopes of peace.
His pride matters, but Virgil does not present him as a simple villain. The Italian peoples have their own ties to the land, and the poem gives their resistance human weight.
What Turnus wants
Turnus expects to marry Lavinia, the daughter of Latinus, king of the Latins. Yet omens and oracles say that she will marry a foreigner, and Latinus welcomes Aeneas's envoys.
Turnus and the others in the story
Lavinia's mother, Amata, wants Turnus as her daughter's husband, putting her hopes at odds with the omens. Juno works against the Trojans and sends Allecto to fill Turnus with anger.
As war approaches, Italian peoples gather behind Turnus, making him a leader of resistance to the newcomers. His conflict with Aeneas brings personal pride and marriage into the larger struggle over Italy's future.
Questions
Who is Turnus in The Aeneid?
Turnus is the young Rutulian leader who fights against Aeneas and the Trojans in Italy.
Why does Turnus want to marry Lavinia?
Turnus expects Lavinia to become his wife, and her mother Amata supports the match.
Is Turnus a villain?
Turnus is not a simple villain. His opposition combines pride, resistance to the Trojans and anger stirred by a goddess's intervention.