Orpheus, Part Two, XII Poem

(RL.1.2) PART A: Which statement best expresses a main theme of Passage 1?

• People are motivated by their own fears and selfish desires.

• True love is worth great sacrifice and can survive even death.

• Beauty is more valuable than true love.

• People are incapable of escaping the finality of death.

(RL.1.2) PART B: Which detail from Passage 1 supports the answer to Part A?

• “the dark underworld should recognize the misery of death, he dared descend by the Taenarian gate down to the gloomy Styx.” (Paragraph 2)

• “While he sang all his heart said to the sound of his sweet lyre, the bloodless ghosts themselves were weeping,” (Paragraph 3)

• “in all that time, shunning all women, Orpheus still believed his love-pledge was forever.” (Paragraph 5)

• “So he kept away from women, though so many grieved, because he took no notice of their love.” (Paragraph 5)

(RL.2.4) PART A: What impact does the word “sputter” in paragraph 1 of Passage 1 have on the mood of the story?

• It demonstrates Orpheus’ hope for his marriage to Eurydice, creating a happy mood in the story.

• It parallels the potential and missed chances of the characters, contributing to the somber mood of the story.

• It represents Eurydice’s inner desire to be free of marriage, reflecting a tense mood in the story.

• It foreshadows Orpheus’ inner struggle with his grief for his wife and desire to move on, leading to a distressed mood in the story.

(RL.2.4) PART B: Which detail fromPassage 1 best supports the answer to Part A?

• “O deities of this dark world beneath the earth! this shadowy underworld, to which all mortals must descend!” (Paragraph 2)

• “they called to them Eurydice…she obeyed the call by walking to them with slow steps, yet halting from her wound.” (Paragraph 3)

• “There remained but little more to climb till they would touch earth’s surface…Instantly she slipped away.” (Paragraph 3)

• “Seven days he sat upon Death’s river bank, in squalid misery and without all food—nourished by grief, anxiety, and tears” (Paragraph 4)

(RL.3.7) What subject is being represented in both Passage 1 and Passage 2?

• The death of Eurydice

• Oprheus’ agreement with Pluto

• Orpheus and Eurydice returning from the underworld

• The joy of Opheus and Eurydice on their wedding day

(RL.3.7) What is absent from the painting (Passage 2) that is included in the myth (Passage 1)?

• Orpheus’ role as a musician

• Orpheus leading Eurydice from the underworld

• Pluto telling Orpheus that he cannot look at Eurydice during their journey

• The steep path they must take during their journey

(RL.3.9) In what TWO ways does Atwood transform the myth (Passage 1) in her poem (Passage 3)?

• Atwood retells the story from Eurydice’s perspective.

• Atwood includes additional characters to give more detail about the story.

• Atwood changes the setting of the encounter between Orpheus and Pluto.

• Atwood alters the plot of the story by changing what happens when Orpheus looks at Eurydice when returning from the underworld.

• Atwood introduces the idea that Eurydice may not have wanted to return with Orpheus.