Orpheus and Eurydice

byThomasBulfinch

ThingsToThinkAbout/ThingsToKnow

Bymanyaccounts,Orpheusisoneofthemostwell
knownandrecognizablefiguresassociatedwithWestern
classicalmythology.ThesonofApolloandaMuse,Orpheus
wastaughtbyhisfathertoplayalyrefromaveryyoungage.
Orpheusgrewuptobecomethemosttalentedsinger,and
musician,inallofGreece.Accordingtolegend,hismusicwas
soenchantingthateventreesandstonesweresensibletohischarms.AlthoughOrpheusis
alsofamousforaidingJasonandtheArgonautsontheirquestforthegoldenfleece,heismost
famousforhispilgrimagetotheunderworld,orTartarus,toretrievehisrecentlydeceasedbride,
Eurydice.Afterthedeathofhiswife,andindefianceoffate,Orpheusventuredtothestygian
realmtodowhatnooneelsehaddonebefore:enterthehouseofthedead,andreturnalive.
Aidedbytheintoxicatingpowerofhismusic,OrpheuspleadedhiscasebeforetheKingofthe
dead,andlordoftheunderworld,Pluto.Orpheusmusichaditsintendedeffect,andPlutohis
stoneheartnowsoftenedgrantedOrpheushisrequesttoreturnwithhisbridetothelandofthe
living.AlthoughPlutograntedhisrequest,hehadonestipulation.PlutodecreedthatifOrpheus
shouldturnbackseetheshadeofhiswife,whileleadingheroutoftheunderworld,thenthey
wouldremainforeverseparatedaslongasOrpheuscontinuedtocalltheearthhishome.Asthe
illfatedcoupleapproachedtheoutletleadingintothecheerfulupperworld,however,Orpheus
glancedbackathisbrideinamomentofthoughtlessness,thuspermanentlysecuringherdoom,
andultimately,hisown.Thisstoryresonateswithreadersformanyreasons.Forone,itfalls
neatlyintoAristotlesclassicaldefinitionoftragedy.Forexample,Orpheusisthequintessential
tragichero.Despitegoodintentions,hesuffersareversaloffortuneduetohishamartia,or
characterflaw.InOrpheuscase,thisishisdangerouscuriosityandincapacityforfaith.Forthe
audience,Orpheusfateculminatesinfeelingsofpity,andlater,inemotionalcatharsis.This
pieceisperfectaspartofalessononGreekmythology,andontheconventionsofclassical
theatre.Inaddition,thispiece,becauseofitssimpleplotelements,isperfectforteaching
studentsaboutthedifferentsequencesofatypicalnarrativestructure.
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StandardsAddressed:

CCSS.ELALITERACY.RL.910.9

Analyzehowanauthordrawsonandtransformssourcematerialinaspecificwork(e.g.,how
ShakespearetreatsathemeortopicfromOvidortheBibleorhowalaterauthordrawsona
playbyShakespeare).

BeforeReading

1.

Thinkaboutastorywhereacharacteryoulikeisresponsible,inadvertentlyornot,for
theirownunhappinessorsetbacks.Whilethinkingaboutthischaracter,whatkindof
feelingsareprovoked?Wouldyoufeeldifferentlyaboutbadthingshappeningtoa
characteryoudidntlike?Whyorwhynot?

DuringReading

1.

Thinkingbacktothebeginningofthestory,whateventforeshadowedEurydicesdeath?
(CCSS.ELALITERACY.RL.910.9)

2.

Howisthestoryresolved?Doyouthinkthisisasatisfyingending?

AfterReading

1.

Consideredtheultimateinspiredsinger,Orpheusisoneofthemostsignificantfiguresof
classicalmythologyinWesternculture,portrayedoralludedtoincountlessformsofart
andpopularcultureincludingpoetry,opera,andpainting.RelateOrpheustoa
contemporaryfigurebesuretomakeparallelsbetweenspecificinstancesinthistextand
thecontemporarypersonslife.

2.

AccordingtoAristotlesconceptionofthetragichero,theherosultimateundoingisdue
toacharacterflaw.Basedonaclosereadingofthetext,howwouldyoudescribe
Orpheuscharacterflaw?Usedetailsfromthetexttosupportyouranswer.Note:thereis
morethanonerightanswer.

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3.

AccordingtoPlatosreadingofthisstory,Orpheusispunished,notforlookingbackat
hiswife,butforcowardice.FromPlatospointofview,Orpheusisacowardfornot
choosingtotakehisownlife,andthusfailingtoreunitewithhiswifeintheafterlife.
WhatdoyouthinkaboutPlatosreadingofthetext?Doyouagreeordisagreewithhim?
Whichversionofthestorydoyouprefer,andwhy?

ConnectionsInText

1.

ComparetheplotarcofOrpheusandEurydicewithanotherfolktaleintheBooksThat
Growlibrary.Aretheplotstructuressimilarordifferent?Intheotherfolktale,identify
theexposition,risingaction,climax,fallingaction,andconclusion.

FurtherReadings

ForTeachers:
http://legacy.owensboro.kctcs.edu/crunyon/e261c/06Plato/greek_mystery_cults.htm

ThislinkprovidesteacherswithsomebackgroundinformationonthecultofOrpheus,andthe
orphicmysteries.

ForStudents:
http://www.sandhills.edu/academicdepartments/english/film/narrativearc.html

Thislinkprovidesstudentswithanindepthanalysisanddescriptionofthevariousphasesofa
conventionalstoryornarrativearc.

Vocabulary

G9ChallengingVocabulary:
promontory(9)aloof(8)omen(7)complaint(7)

G7ChallengingVocabulary:
appeal(7)ravish(7)detail(7)temperamental(7)carnage(7)lyre(6)dwell(6)anxious(6)despiser(6)
sweet(6)ceremony(5)fate(5)bitter(5)region(5)rage(5)

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G5ChallengingVocabulary:
ceremony(5)fate(5)bitter(5)festive(5)charm(5)witness(4)optimism(4)desire(4)tough(4)
resound(4)attend(3)cliff(3)couple(3)dismiss(3)entertain(3)fright(3)hobble(3)must(3)realm
(3)roam(3)round(3)world(3)venom(3)

G3ChallengingVocabulary:
cliff(3)couple(3)entertain(3)fright(3)must(3)realm(3)round(3)venom(3)beauty(2)expressed
(2)mood(2)perform(2)resist/resistance(2)young(2)celebrate(1)decided(1)fresh(1)learn(1)
music(1)wild(1)

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Books That Grow,2014