The Gaze of Orpheus is both a loss (of primordial polymorphous, autoerotic wholeness) and an ‘achieved anxiety’ (a precocious anticipation of an impossible maturity or return to wholeness” (Linder 82) The Gaze of Orpheus The Gaze of Orpheus is derived from the antiquarian Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. Following his descent into the Underworld Orpheus disobeys Hades’ and Persephone’s condition for release of his wife Eurydice. "To you this tale refers, Who seek to lead your mind Into the upper day; For he who overcome should turn back his gaze Towards the Tartarean cave, Whatever excellence he takes with him He loses when
Eurydice of Thebes servants were forced to lock Eurydice into her room. There, she ploughed her face with her nails, pulled her hair out of her head and continued to mourn for months. In the end, she lost her voice, no longer looked towards the light, did not listen to supplications and lost her mind. Eurydice of Thebes In Greek mythology, Eurydice (; Ancient Greek: Εὐρυδίκη, "Eὐrudíkē" "wide justice", derived from "ευρυς eurys" "wide" and "δικη dike" "justice) sometimes called Henioche, was the wife of Creon, a king of Thebes. Eurydice was probably the mother of Creon's five children: Menoeceus (Megareus), Lycomedes, Haemon,