"The chorus too should be regarded as one of the actors, it should be an integral part of the whole and share in the action,not in the manner of Euripides but of Sophocles." -Aristotle
A greek chorus was a group of performers in the plays of classical Greece who comment with a collective voice on the dramatic action.Generally they would dance and sing poetry. They represented the general population in the play, and their lines were always sung. Plays always included a chorus that commented on a variety of background and summary information to help the audience follow the performance. The chorus expressed to the audience what the main character could not say, for example, hidden fears and secrets. It also provided characters with the insight that they may have needed.
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Parts of the Greek theatre:
Parados- The first song sung by the chorus after its entrance the side wings Theatron- Seats for viewing the performance Orchestra- The dancing place of the chorus or performance square Skene- Where the costumes were stored Proskenion- Stage where the actors performed Alter- An alter to the Greek god of theatre, Dionysus |
All members of the Greek chorus looked alike , and spoke in unison. All of the chorus wore identical masks, because they portrayed the same character or group of characters. The masks created a sense of unity among the actors. Because their faces could not be seen, the audience could not detect their reactions to certain things in the play, for this reason, they would sing their their reactions out loud.
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The chorus was made up of about 50 people. Many times the chorus sings in "odes" which were songs that told a story. The chorus alienates the audience, causing them to view events and characters from an outside perspective. The person in charge of training the chorus was the "Coryphaeus" who was the leader of the chorus. The chorus spent most of the duration of the performance in the orchestra. The final scene of a greek tragedy is called an "exodus", which is done usually by the chorus.
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Works cited:
http://www.sonoma.edu/theatreanddance/_docs/badpenny_chorus.pdf
http://ancienthistory.about.com/od/greekliterature/a/GreekTheater_4.htm
http://www2.cnr.edu/home/bmcmanus/tragedy_theater.html
http://ancienthistory.about.com/od/drama/g/Theatron.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parodos
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proskenion
http://quizlet.com/8908926/the-parts-of-ancient-greek-theatre-flash-cards/
http://www.sonoma.edu/theatreanddance/_docs/badpenny_chorus.pdf
http://ancienthistory.about.com/od/greekliterature/a/GreekTheater_4.htm
http://www2.cnr.edu/home/bmcmanus/tragedy_theater.html
http://ancienthistory.about.com/od/drama/g/Theatron.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parodos
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proskenion
http://quizlet.com/8908926/the-parts-of-ancient-greek-theatre-flash-cards/