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ORPHEUS

Orpheus

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Jeanmar Samad- De Los Reyes
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11 views

ORPHEUS

Orpheus

Uploaded by

Jeanmar Samad- De Los Reyes
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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{Q1W3D1} ORPHEUS

retold by Alice Low


There were nine goddesses called Muses. Born out of Zeus and
Titaness named Mnemosyne, each muse presided over a different
art of
science.
Calliope, one of these sisters, was the inspiration of poets and
musicians. She was the mother of Orpheus (a mortal because his
father
was one) and gave to her son a remarkable talent for music.
Orpheus played his lyre so sweetly that he charmed all things on
earth. Men and women forgot their cares when gathered around him
to
listen. Wild beasts lay down as they gathered around him as if they
were
tame, entranced by his soothing notes. Even rocks and trees
followed
him, and the rivers changed their direction to hear him play.
Orpheus loved a young woman named Eurydice, and when they
were
married, they looked forward to many years of happiness together.
But
soon after, Eurydice stepped on a poisonous snake and died.
Orpheus roamed the earth, singing sad melodies to try to overcome
his grief. But it was no use. He longed for Eurydice so deeply that he
decided to follow her to the underworld. He said to himself, “No
mortal
has ever been there before, but I must try to bring back my beloved
Eurydice. I will charm Persephone and Hades with my music and win
Eurydice’s release.”
He climbed into a cave and through a dark passage that led to the
underworld. When he reached the river Styx, he plucked his lyre
again,
and Cerberus, the fierce three-headed dog who guarded the gates,
heard
the sweet music and lay still to let him pass.
Orpheus continued to play his lyre tenderly as he made his way
through the gloomy underworld. The ghosts cried when they heard
his
sad music. Sisyphus, who had been condemned to roll a rock uphill
forever, stopped his fruitless work to listen. Tantalus, who had been
sentenced to stand in a pool of receding water, stopped trying to
quench
his thirst. And even the wheel to which Ixion was tied
as punishment stopped turning for one moment.
At last Orpheus came to the palace of Hades and Persephone, King
and Queen of the underworld. Before they could offer him to leave,
he
began his gentle song, pleading for Eurydice.
When stern Hades heard Orpheus’ song, he began to weep. Cold
Persephone was so moved that, for the first time in all her months in
the
underworld, her heart melted.
“Oh, please, my husband,” she said to Hades, “let Eurydice be
reunited with Orpheus.” They summoned Eurydice, and the two
lovers
clasped each other and turned to leave.
“Wait!” said Hades to Orpheus. “Eurydice is yours to take back to
earth on one condition.”
What is that?” asked Orpheus
“She must follow you, and you must not look back at her until you
are on earth again.”
“I understand,” said Orpheus, and “and I am forever grateful.”
Orpheus and Eurydice left the underworld and made their way
through the dark passage that led to the upper world. At last they
reached the cave through which Orpheus had descended.
“I can see daylight ahead” called Orpheus to Eurydice. “We are
almost there.”
But Eurydice had not heard him, and so she did not answer.
Orpheus turned to make sure that she was still following him. He
caught one last glimpse of her arms stretched out to him. And then
she
disappeared, swallowed by darkness.
“Farewell,” he heard her cry as she was carried back to the
underworld.
Orpheus tried to follow her, but this time the gods would not allow it.
And
so he wandered the earth alone. He sang his sad songs to the trees
and
longed for the time when he, too, would die and be reunited with his
beloved Eurydice in the underworld.
Almonte, Liza R., Flandez, Lerma L., Hermosa, Angelina Lourdes A.,
Lagustan, Nedia, Mangaluz, Liberty A., Miranda, Elenita R., Mendoza,
Paul
Anthony B, et al. “Grade 10 English Learner’s Material: Celebrating
Diversity
through World Literature.” 1st ed. Pasig City: Department of
Education, 2015.

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