Role of the Chorus in Oedipus the King Essay

But, we must ask ourselves, if this was Shakespeare's only reason for including the Chorus, why does he not use a similar device in his other plays? Surely in all of his plays

Another essential group of characters in The Bacchae is the chorus, as within Greek plays the chorus often operated as a popular voice in support of the play’s central idea. Their songs often explain important points, and it’s clear in The Bacchae the songs of the Bacchante chorus uphold ‘sophia’ as the trait most honourable in humanity. As Dionysus exits to convince Pentheus to dress is women’s clothes, the stage is left to the chorus, and they sing: “what is wisdom? What gift of the gods is held in honour like this…” Wisdom is described as a gift from the gods sanctioned amongst men, and thus it is most wise to honour those gods. He who fails to recognise that “humility is wise, humility is blessed,” fails to recognise the greatest quality he can possess in the face of godly power. Thus it is clear that the characters of The Bacchae are essential in conveying the central idea, as

Greek tragedies Oedipus the King and Euripides’ Bacchae are both timeless stories in Greek literature. The engaging plot of both is what is most rememberable however the significance of the chorus is overlooked. The chorus can be defined simply as a group of dancers and singers that participate in dramas by singing poetically and lyrically in certain pauses of the play. The music, movements and gestures of the chorus symbolically define the mood and the themes of the play as the story line develops. The flow of Oedipus the King and Bacchae are dependent on the chorus, proving their significance.

Throughout the play the use of dramatic irony is used to a wide extent, adding to this is the use of realism, focusing on the words. We are introduced the chorus in the first Parodos, they all look fairly identical dressed in black and white symbolising knowledge and wisdom. Don Taylor has used the chorus very well in this version of Oedipus; they always seemed to be making distinctive sharp shapes and movements in order. The chorus are directly speaking to the Gods, visually portraying this by focusing on the heavens above when they spoke. Don Taylor modernises them to seem like jury, at the end of each episode reflecting upon the events happening. Their language and the way they are presented are fast pasted and have a very flowing rhythm.

However, the most important Aristotelian influence Durrenmatt is arguably the chorus. The chorus is the melody and song element of Aristotelian tragedies. A chorus is a group of people who are homogenized and are non-individualized that comment and react as one to the action of the play in order to help the audience follow the play. The chorus also typically comments on the moral issue in the play, for example in "The Visit" comments on the moral issue of if justice can be bought as well as provide insight into the play. Typically in Greek tragedies there would only be a few actors who would play several parts and the chorus would consist of a large number of people. In ‘The Visit” the chorus consists of the first man, the second man, the third

Throughout Antigone, Sophocles incorporates the voices of Choragus and the Chorus by utilizing techniques common in Greek drama in order to provide a general run-down of the plot at hand and to draw attention from his audience. He integrates literary elements such as soliloquy and even dialogue with other characters within his play, and he structures Choragus so that he can directly address the audience on behalf of the singing Chorus. For instance, at the end of each scene, the actors all leave the set and Chorus begins to recite an ode that slightly summarizes the events that took place beforehand, in addition to setting the mood for the upcoming scene: CHORUS. When the laws are broken, what of his city then? Never may the anarchic man find

The chorus also symbolizes the people of Thebes and says what the people were thinking when all of this was going on. This was the story told through time of what had happened to the child of the old king. The readers get to catch the glimpse of the whole story with those words spoken. You cant have that many people in a play to portray the audience so the chorus acted as them. In the movie the chorus portrayed a more judgmental attitude.

Referred to as ‘the mouthpiece of society and morality’, (E. Karayannakos, The Actors and The Chorus, 2007), the Ancient Greek chorus used a range of vocal techniques and elements, which have influenced and shaped western theatre as it is today (M. Mendenhall, Greek Theatre Influences on Modern Theatre, 2012). From 7th Century BC to 4th Century BC, Greek choruses are particularly renowned for their approach in engaging the audience with the context of a play. (B. Simpson, Development of Greek Theatre, 2007), Specifically, vocal techniques played a main role in this engagement (A. Thompson, The Ancient Greek Chorus and Elements of Choral Speaking, 2012) and are why this investigation is focused upon them. Primary data was collected through an

Another interesting structural difference is in the Chorus, an element of ancient drama which a modern dramatist finds very difficult to use. Anouilh has not made this attempt, and has kept only one actor whom he still calls the Chorus. This actor in a kind of prologue introduces the characters to us and gives a few facts necessary for the understanding of the plot; at one stage he explains the author's views on the nature of tragedy. He also speaks a few times to Creon in the course of the drama. Thus, in Anouilh's play the chorus serves as more of a narrator, rather than a character.

The Chorus is similar to an opening scene in a movie, it opens first with an attention grabbing moment, then introduces the protagonist. Just like in a movie, the Chorus provides the principal imagery that a Shakespearean theater cannot produce.

The chorus asks the audience to picture the armed forces and their horses and the battle scenes that took place when watching the play. And, that the events that happened took place over several years, and for the sake of brevity, many parts will have to be left out leaving many gaps throughout the story, jumping from place to place, "turning the accomplishment of many years into an hourglass; for the which to supply, admit me Chorus to this history" (li 30-32). The Chorus will help to fill in the gaps and to explain what is going on so the audience will not get lost as the play jumps around. The Chorus ends by asking the audience to be patient as they view the play. In this instance, the Chorus' function is setting the stage for the rest of the play. It doesn't reveal the plot or make any character developments. Instead, it serves as a mediator. Its function is to prepare the audience for the play that they are about to watch.

The chorus is an essential feature of Greek classical drama. Instances of various types of dance, singing, and speech are some elements of a Greek chorus. “Composed of similarly costumed men, they performed on the orchestra located beneath the stage. The chorus stayed in the orchestra for the duration of the performance from which vantage point they observed and commented on the action of the characters.” Oedipus is a play written by Sophocles, a respected playwright, and it is “generally assumed that the main function of the Sophoclean chorus is a philosophical one; that it serves above all as the spokesman for a certain view of life.” The chorus can be dramatic in the following ways: “through the personality of the group forming the chorus and the appropriateness of their relationship to the action and the characters, through the iambic lines spoken by the coryphaeus, through physical participation in the action and through the choral songs.” The chorus is an important component of the Greek Tragedy Oedipus. Aside from its responsibility to effectively represent the people of Thebes, the chorus in Oedipus has a powerful influence over audience perceptions and emotions.

course of events, the chorus is used to apply a setting, or a mood in the play. For example on page 1281, the chorus

A final cultural difference is the importance of the chorus and its use in the plays Agamemnon, Oedipus, and Medea. The chorus was not highly involved in the action of the plays. In general, the chorus’ main functions were to create a psychological and emotional background to the action through its odes. It introduces and questions new characters, as well as point out the importance of events as they occurred, to establish facts and avow the outlook of society. Finally, the chorus covers the passage of time, between events, and separates episodes (Calder 21). Within the play Agamemnon, by Aeschylus, the chorus represents the voice of wisdom of the city as well as its limitations (Novelguide). The chorus’ limitations are clear when they fail to

On the other hand, the Chorus is the voice of the minority who hunger for truth and just within the community. Sophocles portrays the Chorus as the arm that wrestles with the unfair acts of bloodshed and dishonor to individuals (118). The Chorus is more of an activist stating what is wrong and unjust. The goal of the chorus is to see Creon stopping his arrogance and the shedding of blood.