Introduction
If you aren't familiar with the tragic love story of Orpheus and Eurydice, we highly recommend that you watch this short video which sums up this beautiful, timeless myth in a mere 4 minutes and 41 seconds ( 4 minutes and 36 seconds if you don't count the intro at the beginning):
While this myth may seem inaccessible to a modern society where so many of our morals seem to be completely different, we'd like to argue the opposite- just as with many other of the classical myths and legends, this story has repeatedly been retold for a reason, and that is because it challenges and calls into question many of the faults and ideals we hold today in a modern society.
Misinterpretations
A classic world-renowned-poet-meets-wood-nymph love story, this power couple of the ancient world seemed unstoppable; both good looking, cool and truly in love. And yet, suddenly tragedy strikes and Eurydice, having been bitten by a snake, is stolen away to the Underworld. Orpheus’ heartbreak was so great, and the depth of his pain was so deep that he ventured into the lifeless underworld to try to get back his beloved. Already the act of his entry to the Underworld shows his heroic status as this is a dangerous task, accessible only to great men such as Odysseus, Aeneas and Hercules. The raw beauty of his music meant that Hades and Persephone gave him a chance to leave with Eurydice, the only condition being that he does not turn around. Orpheus’ temptation and paranoia overwhelmed him and as he turned around, he saw Eurydice disappear back down into the depths of the Underworld. Following this, he promised to abstain from ever loving another woman again. According to some versions of the story, namely, Ovid’s (from books ten and eleven of Metamorphoses)—Orpheus turns instead to young men. Ovid portrayed Orpheus as the first figure to introduce “pederasty,” or the love of adolescent boys, to the Thracians.
However, the failure of Orpheus and Eurydice's relationship calls into question what was considered the ideal relationship; this is demonstrated through the fact that despite the perfection of their coupling (Orpheus was intelligent, gifted, handsome and respected and Eurydice was beautiful and even supernatural as a wood nymph), they are doomed by what appears to be an unfortunate streak of bad luck beginning with Eurydice's death. Arguably, this could be nature's way of guiding Orpheus towards an even purer relationship, in essence, suggesting that male pederastic relationships were the only thing that could surpass the seemingly idyllic heterosexual relationship. While this isn't an uncommon concept in the Greco-Roman society, it's a good example of the timeless theme of humans using history to justify their social constructs, a relatable aspect that we can identify with today.
This tragic tale was a grand test of trust, temptation and impulse, revealing universal themes of love and loss, which have a great impact in our society still to this day! The widespread phenomenon of love’s pain is explored within this myth, being retold countlessly throughout history by various writers, artists and even musicians. Naming Ovid the ‘pioneer of pederasty‘, inspired artists such as Albrecht Dürer, Jean Cocteau and John William Waterhouse, continued the myth through their interpretations and explorations of the tale.
Here are some examples:
Nymphs Finding the Head of Orpheus
Death of Orpheus
Orpheus and Eurydice
Today we question morality so frequently that deciding what is just or unjust is a difficult concept to grasp. Numerous novels and love stories have ambiguous endings or actions, and even in everyday life we often find ourselves in these uncertain situations.
Eurydice
Eurydice herself is obviously a very important figure in this myth because whilst she is one of the main characters, everything that happens to her is passive and she is completely the victim. As a woman, her voiceless character would not have been surprising to an ancient audience and even expected as the desire for equality between sexes is a recent phenomenon. The two aspirational characters for women in classical literature, Homer's Penelope and Virgil's Lavinia, have no voice and rely on their husband for their identity. The myth Orpheus and Eurydice, a supposed love story, revolves solely around Orpheus, his journey, emotions and fate whereas Eurydice's fate is never even revealed. As a modern reader, this makes the story appear unbalanced and one-sided, but to an ancient reader this would've been ideal and they would not have questioned it. Another way she conforms to the stereotypes of the ideal tragic 'damsel in distress' is that she appears fragile and the fact that nothing except her beauty seems to be of importance. Eurydice is only deserving of Orpheus because of her supernatural status as a nymph as the inferiority of women meant that no mortal woman would ever be enough for the distinguished Orpheus. To this day, we spread, nay encourage the idea of women needing to be saved by a man, and the same perception of 'damsel in distress', through our public sphere, which unfortunately often leads to a general distorted image of women's independence.
Orpheus
As for Orpheus, he's the quintessential tragic hero, neither too good nor too bad but extremely likeable due to his outstanding skill in music. His hamartia of curiosity accelerates the scene to the climactic point of peripeteia (reversal of fortune). With such innocent intentions and the relatable quality of always needing to know the answer that consumes many of us humans, it is difficult not to feel pity for Orpheus. This quality rings true throughout countless eras and although it ends disastrously for Orpheus, this only serves to amplify our pity and fear (katharsis) that we could suffer the same fate. Despite Euriydice's more lowly presentation and recognition through her reliance on Orpheus, one could also argue that this is applicable to Orpheus too, in a slightly different manner. His heroism would not be possible without Eurydice's presentation as a woman in jeopardy, nor would he be so revered, without the famous moment of true love for her, when he couldn't bear to not check back on her, when in reality, this is simply an embodiment of his hamartia. His heroic status is heightened by forcing Eurydice into a vulnerable role where it's imperative for her to be saved, giving Orpheus a purpose, further manipulating women's purpose, or lack thereof. This is still evident in the modern world from the overwhelming ratio of men to women in positions of power whether that be politics or even superhero movies.
Conclusion
Ultimately, the story of Orpheus and Eurydice can be used today to criticise traditional gender roles, and also to question the extent of damage that the unsatiable human nature of curiosity causes.
Until next time,
Zoe and Viola.