ORPHEUS

Alice Low

Narrator: There were nine goddesses called muses. Born of Zeus and a titan named Mnemosyne, each muse presided
over a different art or science.
Narrator: The nine muses are: Calliope, the Muse of epic poetry. Clio, the Muse of history. Erato, the Muse of
lyric poetry. Euterpe, the Muse of music. Melpomene, the Muse of tragedy. Polyhymnia, the Muse of sacred
poetry. Terpsichore, the Muse of dance and chorus. Thalia, the Muse of comedy and idyllic poetry. Urania, the
Muse of astronomy. 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.
Calliope: Orpheus, my son, use your talent in a good way where everyone will love it and inspire other people
by playing your lyre.
Orpheus: Yes, of course mother, I will also make everyone and everything happy because of my songs.
Narrator: And There was one person who made Orpheus really happy; a young woman he loved, and her
name was Eurydice.
Narrator: They looked forward to many years of happiness together. But soon after, at their wedding, Eurydice
stepped on a poisonous snake that cause her to meet her death. Orpheus immediately go towards to his beautiful
bride.
Orpheus: Hey, hey, Eurydice, please stay with me. Come on. Don’t die my love please. *while holding Eurydice
to his lap and holding her hands. *
Orpheus: Please, please. I’m begging you. Talk to me. Don’t leave me that early. *while crying*
Narrator: Orpheus mourn because of Eurydice’s death.
Narrator: Orpheus roamed the earth, singing sad melodies to try to overcome his grief. But it was no use.
Until he come up with the idea.
Orpheus (to himself): I think I know what to do to bring my Eurydice back to life.
Narrator: He longed for Eurydice so deeply that he decided to follow her to the underworld.
Orpheus (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.
Narrator: 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
Orpheus: Hey there, I have a song for you. *he starts strumming his lyre*
Narrator: And Charon, the ferryman was so charmed that he rowed him across.
Narrator: Then he encounter next Cereberus, the fierce three headed dog who guarded the gates.
Orpheus: Can you let me in? *then he struck his lyre again*
Narrator: After hearing the sweet music, cereberus fell into a sleep that causes Orpheus to pass.
Narrator: 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.
Sisyphus: That was a jaw dropping music. *claps slowly*
Narrator: Tantalus, who had been sentenced to stand in a pool of receding water, stopped trying to quench
his thirst.
Tantalus: His music makes me disregard my thirst.
Narrator: And even the wheel to which Ixion was tied as punishment stopped turning for one moment.
Narrator: At last Orpheus came to the palace of Hades and Persephone, king and queen of the underworld.
Hades: Who are you? Get out. You shouldn’t be here.
Orpheus: Wait. Please. Just hear me for one second, I’m Orpheus. Son of Calliope. King of Thrace.
Hades: what do you need? Spill it out.
Orpheus: I want Eurydice to be with me again. Let her live please.
Hades: Nothing will last forever, Orpheus. Everything will die. Those people we love the most, they will die
when their time comes.
Orpheus: but—
Hades: No buts Orpheus. We just need to accept the reality that people come and go. And in your case, you
need to set Eurydice free.
Orpheus: I want Eurydice back. Please I’m begging you.
Hades: *sighs* I don’t know what to tell you anymore Orpheus.
Orpheus: Since Eurydice died, I forgot when was the last time I smile and laugh. Please understand me that
Eurydice is the only thing I want in this world.
Hades: *silence*
Orpheus: I just wanted to be happy. Again.
Hades: Still a no. Now, you can leave. No soul will leave my king--
Narrator: Orpheus began his gentle sad song, still pleading for Eurydice.
Narrator: When stern Hades heard Orpheus’s 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.
Persephone: Oh please, my husband, let Eurydice been reunited with Orpheus.
Hades: I, too, feel the sadness of Orpheus. I cannot refuse him.
Narrator: After the long talk, hearing orpheus’ song was the only key for hades to be in favor of letting
Eurydice go.
Narrator: At the end, hades summoned Eurydice’s soul to Orpheus. Before leaving, hades call the attention of
Orpheus.
Hades: Orpheus, wait! Eurydice is yours to take back to earth on one condition.
Orpheus: What is that?
Hades: She must follow you, and you must not look back at her until you are on earth again.
Orpheus: I understand, And I am forever grateful.
Narrator: 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.
Orpheus: I can see daylight ahead, we are almost there.
Narrator: But Eurydice had not heard him, and so she did not answer.
Narrator: Orpheus turned to make sure that she was still following him. He caught one last glimpse of her
with her arms stretched out to him. And then she disappeared, swallowed up by darkness.
Eurydice: Farewell
Narrator: Orpheus heard her cry as she was carried back to the underworld.
Narrator: 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 rocks and the trees and longed for the time when he, too, would die
and be reunited with his beloved Eurydice in the underworld.