Myths Analysis Paper

Orpheus and Eurydice

When I was in high school I really enjoyed learning about stories in Greek mythology. Love was one of the hot topics among Greeks and that is why I chose the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice because it is one of most representative love stories of Greek mythology. Also there are many books, movies and cartoons that talk about this myth.

Greek mythology is part of the Greek culture and it also represented its religion. They believed in many gods and heroes. Also I have chosen this topic because its disagreement with the Catholic Church. In Greek mythology Pandora was the first woman on earth, but for the Catholic Church Eve was the first woman on earth. Also, the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice is very controversial because Orpheus entered to the underworld (Hell) and played his lyre for Hades (god of the underworld) to plea for Eurydice’s life. Hades has Orpheus and Eurydice to believe that they are to return to the world of the living, but tricks them and holds them captive in Hades. The Catholic Church critiqued the myth because there is no god in the underworld and no other god that is able to return dead people to life. Thus, Pope John Paul II said, in this time that kind of myths can lead to the creation of new religions and adore other gods created by man.

Moreover, this myth is attractive to all kind of people because it gives ideas to some other people that are atheism and belief in a god that lives in the underworld. For instance, there are some sects that practice scarifying people to please their god’s needs. That is why the Catholic Church critiques myths because it influences people’s beliefs.

Moreover, in 2000 Paul Pissanos released a movie of the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice in which he idealized Hades as the god of gods, the most powerful god within the other Greek gods. Also, Soldier Dream is a Japanese cartoon in which many Greek myths are incorporated and one of them is the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice and Hades. In this cartoon, Orpheus reveals and fights against Hades to help other Greek saints to save Athena from death.
Soldier Dream, was transmitted on TV when I was nine or ten years old. When I first watch this cartoon I believed that everything was real. This affected me a little because, I am Roman Catholic and I started believing that Hades was another god like Jesus Christ. While growing up I gained enough knowledge to differentiate between realities and what was created by man.

There are no facts that prove that Hades existed and that he had the power to return people to the living world. There is no evidence that Orpheus existed and descended to the underworld just to retrieve the women he loved. The only facts that exist are intangible, just stories created by the ancient Greeks.


References:

Greek Myths for Children (2007). Orpheus and Eurydice. Retrieved on November 17th, 2008, from. http://atschool.eduweb.co.uk/carolrb/greek/greek1.html
American Repertory theatre (2006). The Myth of Orpheus. Retrieved on November 17th, 2008, from, http://www.amrep.org/articles/4_4a/myth.html
Internet Movie Database (2008) Orpheus and Eurydice. Retrieved on November 17th, 2008, from http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0371047/
Aeropegasus (2000). Love Stories of Greek Myth. Retrieved on November 17th, 2008, from, http://www.areopagus.net/grklove.htm