I originally wrote this piece for a class, but I modified it to fit more information and express more of my thoughts on the beauty and truth of Hadestown. Enjoy and make sure to check out my podcast episode, Hadestown: Episode 3 coming soon! For a deeper dive into Hadestown, check out Anais Mitchell's book, Working on a Song: The Lyrics of Hadestown linked here.
The idea of Hell permeates culture. Phrases containing the images of said dark, evil place reside in songs, movies, and everyday vernacular. The range of beliefs surrounding Hell varies from a literal place of fire and brimstone, a myth created to scare the unreligious, or a party-centric afterlife full of drugs, immorality, and heavy metal bands. While audiences might approach Hadestown, a musical containing the Greek term for Hell, with preconceived notions, this production contains more. Hadestown captures the ideas of humanity, failure, and redemption.
Anais Mitchell’s work on Hadestown in 2005 blossomed into a full-length Broadway musical in 2019. The production received critical acclaim and won eight Tony Awards in 2019, including Best Musical. Since its beginning, this classical myth turned modern musical has garnered attention and positive reviews. Part of the reason that critics and audiences alike have praised this production is that the principles showcased in its story and staging ring true to life, echoing eternal truths laid out in scripture. Hadestown teaches much concerning the commands of biblically-based beauty and truth laid out in Philippians 4:8. Hadestown reveals biblical principles concerning humanity, sin, and the ultimate hope in Christ.
Hadestown provides evident truths about the brokenness of humanity or the devastating influence of sin. Before the characters even open their mouths, the stage designed by Rachel Hauck suggests more than rustic poverty. The setting, costumes, and music indicate a loss of hope. “But that was long ago before we were on this road,” the narrator god, Hermes, reflects concerning the state of the world controlled by quarreling gods of the Underworld (“Epic I”). The mix of Depression-era and apocalyptic styles mesh, creating abandoned recklessness. “Rachel Hauck’s set design deploys a triple revolve, animating a story that could so easily stand still and locking these tragic figures into each other’s orbit,” says Matt Trueman (“Hadestown” Review: Musical at London’s National Theatre - Variety). Audiences note that this production begins in disarray but they wait to find out why. The
tragedy of humanity not only grasps those onstage but those offstage as well.
The tragic tone of Hadestown is further amplified by Mitchell’s choice of the Greek myth of Orpheus. According to A.L. Phillips, “The original myth of Orpheus and Eurydice emphasized fate and the inability of humanity to thwart the will of the gods. The tone in this new version has shifted somewhat: It now recognizes humanity’s “fatal flaw” as our natural succumbing to fleshly desires under situations of pressure” (“Hadestown: A Tragedy About Trying”). Thus, each of the four main characters confronts various adversities and temptations due to the realities of sinful humanity.
Eurydice enters as the first character to experience the brokenness of humanity explicitly. The “hungry young girl” laments the devastation of personal, relational, and physical dismay. Distrustful of the earth and the people in it, Eurydice warns, “People turn on you just like the wind/Everybody is a fair-weather friend/In the end, you’re better off alone” (“Any Way the Wind Blows”). The Fates echo her statements, confirming there is nothing the poor girl can do to escape the pain of life. All Eurydice desires are physical comfort and protection, but her travels have taught her that is impossible. Even when Eurydice finds love in Orpheus, she is dissatisfied with his attempts at providing for her. When the frustrated and starving Eurydice meets Hades, his offer in Hadestown dramatically appeals to her. Eurydice’s temptation is rooted in a desire for the stability she believes regular men cannot provide.
The goddess of spring also suffers human trials. Ignored by her workaholic husband, Persephone self-medicates to comfort her sun-starved spirit. She sums up her struggle succinctly in the number “Hadestown” by saying, … “Give me morphine in a tin/ give me a crate of the fruit of the vine/Takes a lot of medicine/to make it through the wintertime” (“Hadestown”). Persephone’s greatest desires mirror Eurydice’s: comfort and protection. However, the once wooed goddess of spring desires to find such things outside of Hades. She craves independence in the life she once left willingly for Hades. Persephone finds herself succumbing to new addictive comforts in her husband’s “neon necropolis” (Chant I). “I can give you what it is you crave/A little something from the good old days” she croons to the citizens of Hadestown (“Our Lady of the Underground”). “Persephone distracts herself with a “river of wine” and an underground speakeasy-esque side business for the workers,” writes Anna Westwig in her review, “Orpheus Looks Back, A Hadestown Review.” Instead of communicating, Persephone faces the temptation to leave Hades and find inadequate solutions on her own terms.
In the lives of both Eurydice and Persephone, Hades has played the role of the tempter. But, like the two women, he succumbs to his own temptation: control. The primary antagonist for the musical, the cold and selfish god of the Underworld, experiences the same problems as mortals above with dissatisfaction. “Lover, you were gone so long/Lover, I was lonesome,” Hades tells Persephone, attempting to justify his exorbitant work in Hadestown (“Chant I”). The more involved Hades becomes in his wealth and status, the more his relationship suffers and the less aware he becomes of everything around him. He becomes “But jealous and fearful…prolonging the deadly winter” (Westwig). The Underworld ruler slowly becomes more calloused, uninterested in his wife’s pleas seeking affection and appreciation. “If you don’t even want my love/I’ll give it to someone who does/Someone grateful for their fate,” Hades warns Persephone (“Chant I”). His temptation towards selfishness and control becomes his motivation in Hadestown.
The final main character, Orpheus, also shows the biblical view of broken humanity in the production. Hermes calls the young poet a “Poor boy working on a song/He did not see the storm coming on” (Chant I). While Orpheus reflects the realities of fallen humanity, he does so unaware. The son of a Muse, Orpheus obsesses over his gift to “take what’s broken/make it whole” (“Come Home With Me”). Although his song is successful, the young musician’s focus shifts away from the pain and suffering and front of him. Orpheus’s temptation is to turn away from reality to a world he creates. “He could make you see how the world could be, in spite of the way that it is,” Hermes reflects (“Road to Hell II”). Although the sentiment is beautiful, Hermes words reveal a warning. Orpheus later faces Hades to save Eurydice and is given a test to see the world for what it is and persevere or to run toward the temptation of doubt when all control is lost.
Scripture teaches temptation is not sinful on its own but is the result of fallen humanity. Kevin DeYoung says, “Debts and trespasses require forgiveness; temptation needs deliverance” (“Temptation is Not the Same as Sin”). James 1:14-15 and Hebrews 4:15 record temptation leads to sin, but the opportunity to resist temptation is available to everyone, especially the Christian. Jesus himself was tempted by Satan as recorded in Matthew 4:1–11 and Hebrews 2:18. Hebrews 4:15 encourages believers that because Christ “… was ‘tempted as we are’ that our ascended Savior is able to sympathize with our weaknesses as fallen people.” (DeYoung). Because the main characters succumb to their temptations, the audience can see themselves in these characters. Christian audiences, especially, should notice that these lifelike individuals are as much in need of a Savior as they are.
Hadestown presents a biblical view of sin. Hamartiology, or the theological study of sin, comes from the most frequently used word in the New Testament for sin: hamartia. In the literary sense, hamartia is the fatal flaw of a being (Ryrie 243). A.H. Strong defines sin as “lack of conformity to the moral law of God, either in act, disposition, or state” (Systematic Theology 269). Each of the main characters gives in to their temptation and sins. Not only do their sins affect themselves, but they affect others. “Dreams are sweet, until they’re not/ Men are kind, until they aren’t/ Flowers bloom, until they rot, and fall apart,” Eurydice sings (“Flowers”). Such a phrase perfectly and unfortunately describes the grip of sin.
Hadestown contains both victims and perpetrators of sin. Persephone and Hades fight about their relationship, each controlled with a selfish desire for power. The arguments cause the mortals above to suffer from long winters and blazing summers. Hades seduces Eurydice and commits emotional adultery in the process. Eurydice wrongly follows Hades to the Underworld, pursuing her passion for security and leaving Orpheus behind. The interactions between Hades and Eurydice allude to the account of Eve and the serpent as well as the original myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. “Here, the beautiful juxtaposition of old and new stories comes to life. The shake of the coin-bag… mimics the deadly rattle of the asp that killed Eurydice thousands of years ago in Ancient Greece” writes Westwig. Just as Genesis 3 accounts the serpent questioning Eve, Hades, presented as a rattlesnake, plants doubts and inappropriate curiosity into Eurydice’s mind:
Hey, little songbird, let me guess: He’s some kind of poet and he’s penniless? Give him your hand, he’ll give you his hand-to-mouth He’ll write you a poem when the power’s out Hey, why not fly south for the winter? (“Hey Little Songbird”)
Eurydice accepts the offer from Hades, but her sin does not remain the most devastating mistake. The most significant action upon temptation occurs in the final scene of Hadestown. Hades gives Orpheus and Eurydice a chance to leave Hadestown, but the two may not walk hand in hand. If Orpheus trusts Eurydice, he will not turn around. Instead, he will blindly rely on Eurydice’s love and faithfulness. If Orpheus turns around to see if Eurydice is following, she will remain in the Underworld for eternity. In the end, “doubt comes in,” and Orpheus turns around. The soulful musician loses not only his love and his idealism: he loses his faith. The emotional climax reveals a powerful message following the biblical worldview.
When times are easy, the characters walk a blissful path. However, when presented with a test and trial, each character ultimately gives into their flesh. “‘Wouldn’t you have done the same?’ the Fates ask the audience, forcing us to consider our own weakness and fallibility,” writes Phillips. Paul states in Romans 7:18-19, “For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing.” Personal sin breaks each character by the climax, but Hadestown does not conclude with irreparable despair. Despite the tragic story of Hadestown, hope remains for the narrator, Hermes. The musical begins with Hermes introducing the road to hell and the fatal separation of two young lovers with dramatic irony. Amidst jazz hands, riffs, and responses from the melodic chorus, Hermes excitedly reveals within his entertaining ballad Hadestown is a tragedy:
See, someone’s got to tell the tale
Whether or not it turns out well
Maybe it will turn out this time
On the road to hell
On the railroad line
It’s a sad tale; it’s a tragedy
We’re gonna sing it anyway (“On the Road to Hell”)
Despite the spoiler in the first song, the show continues. Hermes brings the audience along with humor and personality. Eurydice and Orpheus’s ballads fall into perfect harmonies as the passionate couple plans their future. Technical beauty and moving choreography engage audiences as Orpheus courageously journeys to rescue Eurydice. The wandering poet inspires the people of Hadestown to riot against Hades’s oppression. Orpheus touches Hades’s dark heart with a beautiful song, and it appears Persephone and Hades will repair their relationship. But as the audience draws into a false sense of security, the expectation Orpheus will complete the hero’s journey comes to abrupt destruction. As Orpheus turns his head in doubt, the tale concludes. With breaking notes, Hermes quietly gains the courage to repeat the lyrics once again. He does not sing with energy and charm but with solemn reflection:
It’s an old song
And we’re going to sing it again and again . . .
Cause, here’s the thing:
To know how it ends
And still begin to sing it again
As if it might turn out this time,
I learned that from a friend of mine [Orpheus] (“Road to Hell II”)
The production does not end in sorrow. Instead, Hadestown shows while death, destruction, and damnation occur, there is hope. Hades and Persephone do not explicitly reconcile, but they are willing to wait for each other and fix their mistakes. Hermes does not repeat the story to promote false hope but to provide truth concerning humanity and fallibility. Frederick Buechner states in his work, Telling the Truth: The Gospel as Tragedy, Comedy, and Fairy Tale, “beneath it all…we are all vulnerable both to the storm without and the storm within…it is with the recognition of our tragic nakedness and need for true shelter we have to start” (33). Each character attempts to create hope, but they fail despite their perseverance. Hades and Persephone recognize the mess they have made and the love they have destroyed. “God created us to have hope, to seek and delight in goodness. Humanity has always looked for that hope, trying to manufacture a way out of the mess we’re in,” says Phillips. The last words onstage send an inspiring message of possible redemption and hope.
The hope expressed in Hadestown reminds the believer of the hope in Christ. Such hope comes through salvation and a future. The Bible describes God as a faithful, merciful, and just ruler who has sacrificed His son to forgive sins. Titus 2:13 says Christians remain on earth “Waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.” Most importantly, believers reflect on a God of hope (Hebrews 10:23, Romans 15:13). “[God] brings us out of the Underworld, out of darkness and into his marvelous light (1 Pet. 2:9). God turns what would be a tragedy into a beautiful, hopeful story of joy,” Phillips beautifully states. Christ graciously offers a way out of temptation according to 1 Corinthians 10:31. For the Christian, redemption is not only possible but an inevitable and glorious outcome.
Hadestown’s powerful narrative draws audiences to its production. However, the musical’s lasting influence reaches beyond its well-crafted music, visuals, and story. While those involved with Hadestown did not create it to be Christian, creating beauty and truth aligns the show with a biblical worldview. For each performance, Hermes sings, “Maybe it will turn out this time on the railroad line” (“On the Road to Hell”). Hadestown reminds Christians that with their Savior, the story will turn out in the end.
Works Cited
Buechner, Frederick. Telling the Truth: the Gospel as Tragedy, Comedy, and Fairy Tale. Harper, 1991.
DeYoung, Kevin. “Temptation Is Not the Same as Sin.” The Gospel Coalition, https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/kevin-deyoung/temptation-is-not-the-same-as-sin/. Accessed 30 June 2021.
ESV Study Bible: English Standard Version. Crossway, 2011.
“Hadestown” Review: Musical at London’s National Theatre - Variety. https://variety.com/2018/legit/reviews/hadestown-review-london-musical-1203028703/. Accessed 29 June 2021.
Mitchell, Anais, et al. Hadestown Original Broadway Cast, Sing It Again Records, New York City, New York, 2019.
Phillips, A. L. “‘Hadestown’: A Tragedy About Trying.” The Gospel Coalition, https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/hadestown-tragedy-trying/. Accessed 26 June 2021.
Ryrie, Charles Caldwell. Basic Theology: a Popular Systematic Guide to Understanding Biblical Truth. Moody Press, 1999.
Strong, Augustus Hopkins. Systematic Theology: a Compendium Designed for the Use of Theological Students. Judson Press, 2009.
Westwig, Anna. “Spoilers: Orpheus Looks Back, A Hadestown Review.” The Tattler, 23 Sept. 2019, http://www.ihstattler.com/blog/2019/09/spoilers-orpheus-looks-back-hadestown-review/.
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