The tragic fate of Orpheus' wife in Greek mythology is that she, Eurydice, dies shortly after their marriage from a snake bite. Overcome with grief, Orpheus ventures into the Underworld to retrieve her, using his musical talents to charm its denizens. He is granted permission to take Eurydice back but is warned not to look back until they reach the surface. In a moment of doubt, he looks back and loses her forever, symbolizing the themes of love, loss, and the fragility of life in the face of unavoidable fate.