Persephone is the daughter of Demeter (the goddess of grain and agriculture) and is associated with vegetation and flora. Hades fell in love with Persephone when he saw her picking flowers and then asked his brother Zeus to concoct a plan to trap her in the Underworld. Hades is the king of the Underworld and is in love with Persephone, his wife. This myth is the major storyline in Act 2. If he turned around, Eurydice would have to go back to the Underworld with Hades for eternity. He strikes a deal with Hades that if they both could travel out of the Underworld with Eurydice behind Orpheus, and he never turned around to check if she was there, they were both free. Orpheus is devastated when he hears the news (from Hermes) and travels to the Underworld to bring her back to the land of the living. While avoiding Aristaeus, Eurydice stepped on a snake and was killed. According to mythology, Eurydice was pursued by Aristaeus (a minor god) after she married Orpheus. Eurydice is one of the daughters of Apollo and is a nymph (which is basically another word for goddess, though not immortal). In Hadestown, he is a poor waiter who falls in love with Eurydice and creates a song that will help bring spring and warmth to their cold land since Persephone has been living in the Underworld. He is believed to be the son of a Muse (the goddesses of the arts and sciences). Orpheus is the main hero of Hadestown, and is a legendary hero with the magical skills pertaining to music. Knowing Hermes is the messenger of the gods may help audiences understand why Hades tells Hermes information that Hermes then relays to Orpheus & Eurydice in Act 2.
#ORPHEUS AND EURYDICE HADESTOWN HOW TO#
Hermes is believed to have created the first lyre, the instrument Orpheus plays repeatedly throughout the show, and taught himself how to play it. In the show, Hermes has taken Orpheus under his wing as his foster-father, which is not credited to be an authentic part of either Hermes’ or Orpheus’ myths.
Hadestown is narrated by Hermes, the son of Zeus and the messenger to the gods. Unlike other shows with somewhat confusing plotlines, such as Les Miserables, there is no excerpt in the program to provide a brief summarization of the characters about to take the stage, so here is some clarification behind the Greek characters in Hadestown, including Orpheus & Eurydice, Hades & Persephone, and some other supporting characters. It can be extremely complicated and confusing to interpret these ancient myths into what’s become the popularized version seen in Hadestown. Though Hadestown takes a slightly-modernized twist on popular Greek Mythology and incorporates some background on the myths behind the major characters, it can be confusing at times understanding why certain “normal” things in the show take place (such as Persephone coming home to celebrate spring).
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