'The water and the swimmer'

: Fluidity, Feminine Affinity, and the Figure of Orpheus

Abstract

Orpheus is a mythical figure that has been prevalent in both art and literature since antiquity, and continues to be received today across a variety of mediums. As such, this thesis first explores how Orpheus was characterised in antiquity through engagement with Apollonius’ Argonautica, Virgil’s Georgics and Ovid’s Metamorphoses. Through close analysis of each source, the Orpheus of antiquity can be understood through his changefulness of shape and intrinsic association with desire. Here, he is a being in perpetual flux. Then, working within the framework set out by his ancient portrayals, this thesis explores three modern interpretations of Orpheus, each written by women. First, Anne Wroe’s Orpheus: The Song of Life (2011) is considered through its positioning of Orpheus as a muse, capable of providing inspiration and identification to a modern woman writer. Then, Diane Wakoski’s Medea the Sorceress (1991) is studied through its engagement with Orpheus and desire, wherein selected poems explore the conflict between – and thus consequences of – the desire to have and the desire to become. Lastly, Céline Sciamma’s Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019) is considered both as a retelling and a meditation on the shifting of selves that is inherent in an Orphic figure. This thesis intends to determine the extent to which Orpheus’ classical origins influence his modern incarnations, and to emphasise his association with the liminal that has persisted across varying centuries and media. The fluidity of Orpheus’ being is positioned not solely as a modern ascription, but as something that he has always been intimately connected to. It is this fluidity that allows for his continued engagement today; he is other, beyond, one who is perpetually reaching, and we reach in turn.

Date of Award	18 Jun 2024
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	University of Bristol
Supervisor	Laura Jansen (Supervisor) & Ian Calvert (Supervisor)