Haiden Allsopp
Most of us have heard about series like Percy Jackson, and we could probably name some of the Greek gods, but how much influence do these classical myths actually have on our culture? Throughout history, myths have been used as a means to reinforce social hierarchies, gender roles and cultural values, but in the modern age, particularly in times of political instability, retellings of myths often subvert and challenge these same structures. Myths flourish in times of crisis because they offer a framework to process complex, challenging ideas indirectly, drawing on the emotional connection of the audience to make their statements powerful. The story of Orpheus and Eurydice is one of many examples of influential myths which have been told and retold throughout our history.
The question is not why we continue to retell these stories, but what we choose to do with them.
The original Orpheus and Eurydice myth originates from Ancient Greece, and follows Orpheus, a legendary musician, as he descends into the underworld to rescue his wife, Eurydice. As they leave the underworld, Orpheus turns to look at Eurydice, breaking his deal with Hades and sending Eurydice back to the underworld. In the original myth, Eurydice is fairly passive and is defined by her relationship to Orpheus. She dies, she waits, and she is lost again because of his doubt. The story in its original form is entirely his.
Orpheus and Eurydice’s love story explores ideas of grief, love and desire, emotions which are relevant throughout time. More importantly, though, the use of myths as a shared cultural language in Ancient Greece allows their retellings to act as powerful vehicles for cultural critiques in contemporary media. The question is not why we continue to retell these stories, but what we choose to do with them.
Hadestown is a modern retelling of Orpheus and Eurydice, in musical theatre, which reframes the myth through the lens of capitalism, labour and power. Hades is depicted as a boss, and the underworld a factory. Driven by poverty and hunger, Eurydice chooses to go to the factory, but she begins to regret her decision as her memories fade, and she realises she is destined to become another cog in the factory machine. The myth still remains central to the commentary of the performance, but this shift in her agency means that the story is about the conditions that force impossible choices, rather than Orpheus’ doubt and love alone. The myth becomes a commentary on modern-day life and is emotionally and culturally relevant in a way which the original myth is not.
It is far from the only one which has been rewritten to grant new levels of agency
Another excellent example of the modernisation of Greek mythology in storytelling is Charlie Covell’s KAOS, which was released in 2024 on Netflix. The show takes place in the modern day, in a reality where the Greek gods are still worshipped. Jeff Goldblum stars as Zeus, a paranoid and vain ruler who desperately clings to his faltering power. It interrogates ideas of power and corruption, identity and fate, following multiple intertwined storylines. Within this, we also see the story of Orpheus and Eurydice. Eurydice is secretly falling out of love with Orpheus when she dies, and although he still ventures into the underworld to save her, their ending is quite different to the original myth. It places her emotions, decisions and agency at the forefront of the story, making for an emotional and bittersweet ending.
Sciamma’s Portrait of a Lady on Fire is not a direct retelling, but the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice is central to the relationship between the main characters, Marianne and Héloïse. The two read the story together, and Héloïse suggests that Eurydice wanted Orpheus to turn back so that she could choose her own fate. We later see these parallels in the heartbreaking story between Héloïse and Marianne. Much like Orpheus, the two cannot look upon each other or acknowledge their feelings due to homophobia and social pressures, because it would mean losing each other.
Orpheus and Eurydice is a particularly rich myth for this kind of retelling, but it is far from the only one which has been rewritten to grant new levels of agency to previously marginalised characters. This reclamation of agency for women, queer and marginalised figures is a consistent pattern across contemporary retellings. Myths are actively altered and contested by each new generation of storytellers, criticising modern politics and culture and connecting to human emotions of grief and fear, passion and power.
Modern authors such as Madeline Miller, with Circe and The Song of Achilles, and Jennifer Saint with Ariadne, Elektra, and Atalanta, have crafted beautiful, beloved books inspired by mythology. Some of the most popular films, TV and literature that we all know take inspiration from mythology in some shape or form, most notably, Percy Jackson by Rick Riordan and The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R Tolkien. The evidence of this is everywhere, and there is a vast range of media which classical mythology has influenced if you know where to look.
From Roman sculptures and Renaissance painters to popular film, literature and TV, songs like Swan Upon Leda by Hozier, and the Hades video game, the influence of mythology persists! There is always an artist with something left to say, and mythology provides a perfect framework for this.
Haiden Allsopp
Featured image courtesy of Carl Goos via RawPixel. Image use license found here. Image was cropped to size.
In-article photos courtesy of @hadestown_uk and @killianscott_f via Instagram. No changes were made to these photos.
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