After accepting the call, "The Road of Trials" (Campbell 28) is initiated. The hero must face tasks and trials and may have to face them alone, or may have assistance. Orpheus was very devastated and was determined to go down to the underworld to bring Eurydice back.
Orpheus was the son of the great Olympian god Apollo who in many ways was the god of music. A special power that Orpheus possessed was that he was blessed with admirable musical talents. With these talents, Orpheus went to the underworld and conquered his challenges by charming anyone or any creature with the beautiful sound of his music. Just as he dared, Orpheus was able to charm and distract the multiple guards of the underworld including the three-headed dog, Cerberus, and even the dread goddesses, the Furies. Next to come was convincing the ruler of Hades to spare the life of Eurydice, for she will become his once again if Hades spared her just for a couple of years. Just as no maiden could resist Orpheus's power of his song, neither could the king and queen of the underworld when Orpheus sang. After reminding Hades that he had fallen in love once too before, Hades agreed to give Eurydice back to Orpheus, but under one specific condition. That condition being that Orpheus would not turn around or look back until Eurydice reached the upper world. As the journey is coming to end and seems as if Eurydice and Orpheus will be returning and be happily together once again, filled with excitement Orpheus looks back when Eurydice is not quite done exiting the gates and only a "farewell" was heard as Eurydice was sucked back into the underworld forever. The return that Orpheus had pictured of course went much differently than expected, leading to him being devastated once again only to be playing his music alone without the companion of his love.
Many individuals, including those who relate their ideas of what a true hero is to Joseph Campbell, may argue that Orpheus is not a hero because he did not win in achieving his goal in getting Eurydice back from the underworld.
