Cecilia Saba Essays - Operas, Vocal Music, Music, Sir Orfeo, LOrfeo

Cecilia Saba 14738211 ENG20410 Reading Medieval Literature: Mid-Term Assignment " The concept of kingship in Sir Orfeo" This essay will examine the representation of kingship in Sir Orfeo, taking Orfeo and the Fairy King as the main examples. Specifically, it will focus on how both of them represented a royal figure in different ways. It will compare and contrast the two kings and it will also deeply analyse various kingship elements in the text in order to provide a comprehensive viewpoint on the subject matter. Finally, it will analyse the text and the way the theme of kingship and the loss of it was addressed through the key quotes of the critics who wrote about the topic, while interpreting them as well as challenging some of them in order to obtain a more personal outlook on the topic discussed. Sir Orfeo reworks the classical myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. Where the Fairy King is depicted as the monarch of a colourful and extravagant otherworld, the original version features Hades as the king of a dark and subterranean place guarded by a three headed dog named Cerberus. While the Greek otherworld is a lot harder to access, Sir Orfeo seems to luckily stumble on it by simply following the fairies when he finally sees Heurodis amongst them. In this case the beauty of the Celtic world is contrasted with the classical nasty place that the otherworld was always described as. Instead, Orfeo is amazed by the Fairy King's reign, which makes it very different from Hades' one, which is anything but enviable. However, while Orfeo main concern is to get his wife back. Firstly, Hades did not take Eurydice away from Orfeo, she simply died because of a venomous snake's bite, whereas the Fairy King actually kidnapped Heurodis. While the Fairy's king actions were not respectful of the code of honour and therefore it could have caused a feud, his otherworldliness makes him basically untouchable. Similarly, although Hades might have purposely placed the snake near the venue of Orfeo and Eurydice's wedding, the young man does not try to get his wife back by appealing to his status. Instead, he manages to reach the underworld, which is nearly impossible for humans, and just like Sir Orfeo he moves the king through his music. Classical myths were often retold during the Middle Ages and some details were often changed and adapted to better suit the time. However, while Orfeo was often described as a hero who took part to the Argonauts expedition, and a talented poet, he was never a king in the earlier versions, although in some versions he did have divine origins, like in the medieval poem. Some believed he was the son of Apollo's, others mention that he was the result of the love of Oeagrus, king of Thrace, and one of the muses. The medieval poem clearly specifies Orfeo's status from the very beginning: "Orfeo was a kynge" (Bliss, 39). The lines from 39 to 46 provide a portrait of Orfeo's divine genealogy as well as the fact that he is a king, while the lines from 47 to 50 describe Thrace. This first section, from line 1 to 47 can be understood as the poem's prologue (Schwieterman, 46). It was essential to lay down Orfeo's importance to his people to put his duty in relation to his breakdown after Heurodi s went missing. The wilderness of the forest where Orfeo loses his sanity and the use of the word "Fairy" create elements of folklore. It is important to stress the fact that some details were adjusted to suit the British taste and to create familiarity with the story by putting it into a British contest (Hofstee, 2). Of course any supernatural elements are included, but the Orfeo's experiences and feelings are associated with the worldly sphere. Orfeo's life is disrupted by Heurodis' absence, and he experiences self-exile, return to his reign in disguise and a final revelation to conclude the story with. However, it would be wrong to assume that Orfeo was just a madman, he was a man whose world was stolen away to the otherworld (Knapp, 267). One of the main themes is in fact the precariousness of happiness and how it