Apollo
Giver of lyre and father of Orpheus
Proud father giving a gift to his son
Showing favor to a son
Cultivating talent of a young artist
Wants son to continue father’s legacy of music
Orpheus
Musically talented
Son of Apollo and Muse Calliope (definitely has some musical ability being the son of the god of music and a goddess known for her voice)
His singing and lyre playing moved all people and even the birds, trees, and rocks
Magical abilities
Gaining everyone’s favor
No one will hurt him/hold anything against him
Wants to control everyone through his music
Falls in love with Eurydice
Falls in love with her beauty
Could have chosen someone else
Eurydice is gullible enough to fall in love with Orpheus purely for his musical ability
Using Eurydice as a tool to repel other female affection
Deeply in love with her - devoted and loyal
Rejects advances of other females after the “second death” of Eurydice
Isn’t attracted to women
Heartbroken and desperate when Eurydice dies
Will do anything to get Eurydice back
Impatient, distrustful, forgetful - turns around to look at Eurydice just before reaching the exit of the Underworld
Eurydice
Orpheus’ wife
Wooed by his singing
Under a magical spell that makes Eurydice fall in love with Orpheus
Marrying him for status
Making other women jealous of her status as Orpheus’ wife
Runs away from Aristaeus
Frightened by other men’s pursuits
Loyal to Orpheus
Afraid of sexual advances
Playing hard to get
Bitten by a snake - kills her
Clumsy, unaware of her surroundings
Suicidal, aware of the snake’s presence- doesn’t want to be married to Orpheus
Hymen
God of marriage
Doesn’t bless Orpheus and Eurydice’s marriage
Jealous of Apollo - doesn’t want Apollo’s sons to prosper
Sees through Orpheus’ spell and sees Eurydice’s captivity
But doesn’t do anything about it
Another way to cause Apollo/Orpheus to suffer
In love with Eurydice and doesn’t want her to marry Orpheus
Bad omen for Orpheus and Eurydice’s marriage
Aristaeus
Shepherd
Son of Apollo and Cyrene
Chases after Eurydice
Captivated by her beauty
Jealous of Orpheus and wants to make him suffer
Actually in love with Eurydice and tries to get her away from Orpheus
Possible ex-lover of Eurydice
Snake
Bites Eurydice and kills her
Motivated somehow to kill her - maybe another god/goddess coerced or ordered it to kill her
Possibly a jealous or angry being that wants Eurydice dead
Also wooed by Orpheus and wants Orpheus to itself
Sets up Orpheus to be the hero - save Eurydice
Charon
Obstacle for Orpheus to pass through
Guardian and ferryman of the River Styx
Wooed by Orpheus’ singing and playing
Allows Orpheus to pass through
Wants to see Orpheus succeed
Bored and wants to see what happens
Wants to spite Hades
hired/ordered by someone to let him pass
Building up Orpheus’ success in getting Eurydice back
Cerberus
Supposedly insurmountable obstacle for Orpheus to pass through
Guardian of the Underworld
Wooed by Orpheus’ singing and playing
Allows Orpheus to pass through
Wants to see Orpheus succeed
Bored and wants to see what happens
Wants to spite Hades
Hired/ordered by someone to let him pass
Is a good boy at heart and just wants to make people happy
Building up Orpheus’ success in getting Eurydice back
Hades
Wooed by Orpheus’ singing and playing
Building up Orpheus’ success in getting Eurydice back
Allows Orpheus to take Eurydice back, but with a test
Orpheus cannot look back at Eurydice on the way up to the mortal world
To see if Orpheus is truly faithful, has the will to bring Eurydice back to life
Bored and wants to see some action
Doesn’t want Eurydice to leave - could be in love with her
Hate for Apollo - doesn’t want Orpheus to succeed
Only loophole to bring somebody back from the dead
Thracian women
Pursue Orpheus after the death of Eurydice but are rejected
Tear him to shreds and throw his body parts into a river
Anger at him for rejecting them
Ordered/hired by someone to go rip him to shreds
“If I can’t have him, no one can” mentality
Getting rid of evidence