black orpheus

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Love and Death in Black Orpheus

In fiction or reality being overly ambitious can cause one to yield to the evils of temptations. In Black Orpheus the myth fits into the story because it demonstrates the extremes an individual will endure to regain lost love, and relive the past. In the movie Orpheus and Eurydice both experience a case of “love at first at first sight”. They barely know each other but feel that because of Greek Mythology they were destined to love each other. When Orpheus asked Eurydice her name, and she responded he said that he knew he loved her. Another factor of love is displayed when Orpheus leaves Mira his fiancé for Eurydice, someone who he barely knew.

In the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, Orpheus and Eurydice become married; however these two gain unconditional love for each other like in the movie. Orpheus loves Eurydice with all his heart, and would do anything to savage their relationship. Orpheus feels as if nothing could harm them, not even death. In Black Orpheus the two of them also conquer jealousy from the town’s people. Many people didn’t encourage the love these two had built and basically wanted the love affair between them two to end.

In the movie Orpheus tried to protect Eurydice from anything he felt would harm her, including his fiancé Mira, who evidentially hated her. Mira tried on numerous occasions to harm Eurydice, but Orpheus would always be their as a form of protection. Orpheus also tries to protect Eurydice from the skeleton man who symbolized “death”. Orpheus goes beyond the call of duty to comfort Eurydice because she was very frightened by his appearance. Orpheus followed Eurydice around when she became startled.

When the skeleton man finally succeeds at harming Eurydice Orpheus tries to save her by running to her rescue. However the only thing that was saved was his feelings for Eurydice and his memory. Death is represented when Orpheus electrocutes Eurydice on the cables. In the myth Orpheus tries to come to her aid several times because of the unconditional love he had for her. Once again, like in the movie “death” comes for Eurydice again. Unlike the movie, she was killed by snake bites which lead to the end of her.
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...ause him to walk off the cliff with Eurydice in his arms, and he dies. In the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice Orpheus encounters death when the women tried to kill him by throwing a javelin and some stones. These weapons did not prevail against him because of the love he obtained for music. Death also became prominent in the myth when the women began to scream which drowned out his music and caused his death.

Mainly because of Orpheus’s crave for love and his ambitious nature, he leads himself to death. When Orpheus dies, he and his long lost love are reunited once more. In the myth it is said now that they roam happy in the fields together now, sometimes he leading, sometimes she; Orpheus gazes as much as he will upon her, no longer incurring a penalty for a thoughtless glance.

This Myth stresses the importance of love and moreover trusts. If Orpheus only trusted Eurydice from the start he would not have been put in that situation. This story and myth also demonstrates the extremes an individual will endure to regain lost love, and relive the past. In this World, happiness is the most important element through success. Happiness can be created through love and hard dedication.

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