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Orpheus and Eurydice
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Mythology
Orpheus and Eurydice
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Themes in Orpheus and Eurydice
Little Words, Big Ideas
The Power of Music
With Orpheus constantly strumming his lyre, this myth has more songs than an episode of Glee. He plays the blues when Eurydice dies (both times), and he uses music to charm the beasts and spirits o...
Death
Death totally haunts this myth (pun intended). The story begins with Eurydice's fatal snake bite, continues with Orpheus' journey into the Underworld, and ends with Orpheus' murder at the hands of...
Fleeting Nature of Happiness
Twice in this myth, incredible happiness slips away from Orpheus and Eurydice. First, it disappears after Eurydice dies on their wedding night. Then, the joy that comes from Eurydice's release is d...
Love and Trust
Love is a powerful motivator. It can make people do irrationally amazing things ("look, honey, I baked a giant cake in the shape of your face!") and irrationally stupid things (see first example)....