Interpretation Essay

Orpheus and Eurydice

The story of Orpheus and Eurydice is the story of one of the greatest loves of all time. Orpheus was the greatest musician of all mortals, the only man to rival the gods and the man who could “draw iron tears down Pluto’s cheek,” and Eurydice was a beautiful maiden, and Orpheus’ wife. There are three levels of interpretation: the natural level, the social level, and the psychological level. The natural level is how the story explains natural events, while the social level tells how the story can affect the community, and the psychological level is how the reader personally relates to and understands the story. The story of these two lovers can be related to the three levels of interpretation in the following ways.

I will start with the natural level. This is the biggest interpretation that can be made, the one that affects the world as a whole. In the story a snake bites Eurydice and she dies. Everyone can understand the loss of a loved one, whether they have lost a spouse, a mother, a father, a sibling, or even a pet. We can all relate to the heartbreak Orpheus feels in this tale.

This heartbreak brings up another point. When Orpheus is sad he does not feel like playing music, and everyone loves music. This affects the community because no one can hear the beautiful sounds of Orpheus’ lyre; no one can fill their sad, dark lives with the most uplifting form of meditation.

If you have ever lost someone you loved, you have experienced sadness and the most excruciating psychological pain, a pain that one can hardly bear. Loneliness, emptiness, and depression can all be brought on by a terrible loss like the one Orpheus went through. And, like Orpheus I think many people wish they could travel to the deep cavern of Hell, cross the river Styx, sneak past Cerberus, and take back the ones they love.

I have just described to you the level of interpretation and how they relate to the tale of Orpheus and Eurydice. So now I leave you with this: Don’t take for granted what you have because once it is gone, good luck trying to get it back.