A good answer would be as follows:

The question was: Discuss the purpose of prophecy at this stage of the "Aeneid" and the functions of prophecy in the poem as a whole.

Firstly, decide what exactly the question is asking. You need to identify that this question concerns the theme of Rome’s world mission. Having done that, look carefully at the wording of the question. There are 2 main parts;

The purpose of prophecy in Book 6

The functions of prophecy in the rest of the poem that you have studied. (Note that this question is badly worded: you are not required to know the whole poem. The syllabus is limited to Books 1,2,4, and 6)

So your answer should have three main parts:

The general statement connecting prophecy with the theme of Rome’s world mission, and defining what you mean by Rome’s world mission

The purpose of prophecy in Book 6, with details of the parade of heroes shown by Anchises to Aeneas in the Underworld, and any other prophecy you can remember in Book 6

The functions of prophecy where it occurs in Books 1, 2, and 4, with details, especially Jupiter’s prophecy in Book 1.

Virgil uses prophecy to support the theme of Rome’s world mission in the Aeneid.

This theme conveys two main messages to the reader.

The first message endorses the rule of the Emperor Augustus. Augustus had taken over as sole ruler of Rome after decades of civil war in which leading Roman families struggled for control of Rome. Augustus brought peace and restored stability to Roman society. However, in taking over as sole ruler he had ended the Roman Republic, in which the people voted for their rulers and magistrates in yearly elections. Virgil gives propagandist support of Augustus as a predestined ruler of Rome, in the Aeneid..

The second message carries on from the first: Now that Augustus has taken over as ruler of Rome, a new golden age of peace and prosperity has begun, in which Rome will rule with justice an everlasting empire. However, this great destiny has involved much suffering. Augustus’s success, just like Aeneas’s fulfilment of his destiny came only after much hardship.

Virgil uses prophecy at this stage and elsewhere in the poem as a kind of dramatic irony. Many items of prophecy in the Aeneid are already known to the Roman reader as historical fact. This helps to give force to the prophecy by suggesting that it did indeed come true.

Examples of this in Book 6 can be seen in the parade of Roman heroes to come, which is shown to Aeneas by his father Anchises in the Underworld. One of the heroes is the Roman Scipio who, in times before Vergil, had defeated Hannnibal of Carthage and thus saved Rome from defeat.

Other aspects of the prophetic passages in Book 6 have not yet "come true" for the Roman reader. However, because parts of the prophecy have already been fulfilled, the suggestion is that the rest must also be true. Virgil uses this device particularly to enhance the reader’s view of Augustus. Among the parade of heroes Aeneas sees Augustus. Anchises tells him that Augustus is destined to lead a golden age for Rome and will extend Roman territories to far lands. This is propaganda for Augustus, suggesting that even before the founding of Rome Fate had decreed the importance of Augustus as a world leader. In addition, in this passage we are reminded that Augustus is descended from Aeneas. Since the mother of Aeneas is Venus, this tells the Roman reader that Augustus is descended from the gods, and that he has a very ancient and noble ancestry.

Prophecies in Books 1,2, and 4 have a similar function. They connect facts or very familiar mythical stories known to the Roman reader, with the decrees of fate. At the same time, they include prophecies about the importance of Augustus for the Roman people.

Jupiter’s prophecy to Venus, in Book One, includes references to Augustus, as well as answering her question as to whether Aeneas will ever achieve his destiny to reach Italy and found a "new Troy". The prophecy states that after reaching Italy Aeneas will fight a great war, that Ascanius will rule in Alba Longa, that Romulus and Remus will be born to the god Mars and a priestess descended from Aeneas, and that Romulus will found and rule a new city, Rome. All of this was familiar to Romans as part of their early origins. However, Jupiter concludes the prophecy by saying that Augustus, descended from Aeneas, would be born; he would bring peace and extend his rule over many lands. By putting both "true" prophecies together with prophecies about Augustus, Virgil gives force to the statements he is making about Augustus.

In books Two and Four the prophecies are not so forceful, and do not mention Augustus. In Book Four Dido’s curse is a kind of prophecy and mentions the wish for an "avenger" to punish the Romans in time to come, since she accepts that it is Aeneas’s destiny to reach Italy and found his new race. This again reinforces the fact that Fate is important in the founding of Rome. We also see Virgil’s use of dramatic irony here: the "avenger", to the Romans, would be the Carthaginian leader Hannibal who so nearly defeated Rome. This is another "prophecy" which seems to have come true.

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