Aim: Why do artists sacrifice everything for their art?

The students will read the story of Orpheus and Eurydice in class.

The story poses some difficulties, such as the sacrifice for art, the descent into inferno, and the issue of death and creation. The teacher may tackle them in separate lessons, that will bring forth additional materials (literature, art, commentaries). For instance, the theme of descending to inferno is quite popular in classic and modern literature and art. Among mythological heroes that went to Inferno for various reasons (Ulysses, Theses, Gilgamesh), the most popular one is Hercules. Known by teens from the television series, the teacher may ask questions and supply information that addresses the mythological beliefs of the ancient people. The ritualistic travel of the spirit to the underworld plays a central role in all ancient and modern religions, casting light on various literary and artistic production of all times.
The most important aspect of the story will be the idea of creation and sacrifice. The artist is bound by his talent and calling to create and sacrifice his/her life on the altar of creation.

The teacher will ask comprehensive and critical thinking questions:

• What were the terms of the understanding between Orpheus and Hades?
• Why couldn't Orpheus stick to the terms?
• What would have happened if Orpheus had not turned his head?
• Why did Orpheus want to go to Inferno even though he knew it was impossible to go there and return alive?
• What happened to Orpheus after he returned from the dead?

• Find two examples of artists who sacrificed so much for their art. Write a compare-and-contrast essay.
• Find a recent New York Times Arts section and read an article dedicated to a singer/actor/actress/artist. Look for elements that illustrate the idea of artist's sacrifice for the sake of creation.
• "Romeo and Orpheus. How deep love can be." Write an essay that illustrate this title by using the two examples of sacrifice for love: Romeo and Orpheus. Establish a major idea that will guide you in the composition. Discuss each literary case without summarizing the literary works. Show similarities and differences between the two heroes. Refer to other literary works that deal with the idea of sacrifice for art. Write a conclusion.
• Can art change society? Discuss the case of Orpheus and the poetry of the Harlem Renaissance movement.

Resources:
Go to museum sites that host paintings on the subject of Orpheus and Euydice: http://artchive.com/artchive/P/poussin/orpheus_and_eurydice.jpg.html
More information about the Brazilian movie Black Orpheus: http://picpal.com/orphord.html
For a good summary and more information on mythological characters, surf to:
http://library.thinkquest.org/23057/orpheus.html
http://cultures.com/greek_resources/greek_encyclopedia/greek_entry.html/orpheus_e.html
http://mythweb.com/teachers/why/other/orpheus_e.html