Like in Oedipus Rex, the chorus sings lyrical, poetic kinds of comments during the pauses in the dramatic plot. In Antigone the Chorus is made up of a group of old Theban men. For example, refrains are found in the Beatles ' " She Loves You " ("yeah, yeah, yeah"), AC/DC 's " You Shook Me All Night Long ", Paul Simon 's " The Sound of Silence ", and " Deck the Halls " ("fa la la la la"). Firstly, according to a view accepted by many scholars, the chorus would provide commentary on actions and events that were taking place before the audience. The other effect is reverb (reverberation). The Chorus The Function Of The Chorus The Chorus is roughly like the peanut-gallery. The chorus is meant to be made up of everyday folk watching the story unfold just as the audience is, and providing feedback or advice to the more prominent characters. Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Discuss the function of chorus in King Oedipus. Classical drama, according to Aristotle, started as exclusively choral, in performances known as "dithyrambs". The chorus could also help prepare the audience for dramatic shifts. "6 Ithink that it might be wise at this point to define what we mean by dramatic. Through the explicit analysis of the function of the chorus, I hope to shed light on the similarities and differences in their duty within the respective plays. nohemi_marquez. In the actual staging of ancient tragedy, choruses, like those of modern opera, dance, adding impressive visual components to a drama. Yet we must never forget that Greek theater was communal in nature. The Function of the Chorus within Antigone - AB Pg#1 The Function of the Chorus within Antigone Antigone while a play that teaches a lesson it is also AB Pg#1 The Function of the Chorus within Antigone Antigone while a play that teaches a lesson it is also one that captures audience's attention,with its characters and the overall story. We’ve discounted annual subscriptions by 50% for our End-of-Year sale—Join Now! In Antigone the Chorus is made up of a group of old Theban men. One example that comes to mind is Little Shop of Horrors, which uses a singing "chorus" to great effect, with narration and humorous commentary. Get Help With Your Essay If you need assistance with writing your essay, our professional essay writing service is here to help! The function of the chorus is to sing songs at appropriate intervals, commenting on the characters and the development of the plot. It also sometimes questions the characters. Function: Within the Agamemnon the chorus can be seen to take a more traditional choral role in which they provide the audience with information to help them follow the story. Medea: The role of the chorus It is important to refer to the role of the chorus in all of your essays. Functions of the Greek chorus. The chorus dressed the same and wore identical masks to be like one person, one character. chorós), in the context of Ancient Greek tragedy, comedy, satyr plays, and modern works inspired by them, is a homogeneous, non-individualised group of performers, who comment with a collective voice on the dramatic action. PLAY. eNotes.com will help you with any book or any question. At the end of Oedipus the King, the Chorus conflates the people of “Thebes” with the audience in the theater. Instead, it will present the good and bad fortunes of Dr. John Faustus, who is born of base stock in Germany and who goes to the University of Wittenberg, where he studies philosophy and divinity. Dramatic elements in a play are intrinsically functional elements, elements without which the play could not operate. Since the chorus is so important, we can expect the music to reinforce it. Our summaries and analyses are written by experts, and your questions are answered by real teachers. Created by. The Corrections? Test. Most sound cards that have an onboard MIDI sound set contain both chorus and reverb. The word “Chorus” derives from the Greek word “kôrəs” which means “a large organized group of singers”. In this way, the chorus participates in the dialogue throughout the drama. (See choir.). a function for jumping to the chorus section and other key parts of a song plus a function for visualizing song structure. Their judgment is the verdict of history. As the representative of women in Corinth, they also give an insight into Euripides’ views and values. How to use chorus in a sentence. Learn. The first is foreshadowing. chorus - WordReference English dictionary, questions, discussion and forums. ©2020 eNotes.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved. The chorus consisted of a group of 12 to 50 players who spoke or sang their lines in unison, wore masks, and functioned as one actor rather than a large group of many performers. What are the similarities and differences between poetry and prose? A Greek chorus, or simply chorus (Greek: χορός, translit. …of the production was the chorus, the size of which appears to have varied considerably. Log in here. Function of the Chorus. Eliot’s Murder in the Cathedral (1935). … In some plays choral odes are clearly connected to plot development, but in others they serve as poetic and visual interludes with only tenuous connections to the main plot. In the early days of Greek drama there was only one actor on stage, playing all the different parts. Chorus adds a swirling property to a sound that it is applied to, thickening the sound. The chorus acts as a gauge for Greek opinion, a capsule of how the audience most likely would have reacted while watching these plays. Choruses would heighten the emotions of the play, comment on the actors' actions and praise Greek gods. Already a member? With the entry of the Chorus, the list: of the essential dramatis personae is complete, and the main action can begin It is the function of the Chorus to mark the stage of this action, and to perform the suffering and perceiving part of the tragic rhythm. In effect, the chorus was no longer confined to the stage; it also interacted with the audience. In Aeschylus’, In these communal celebrations, a choric dance may have been the first formal element and perhaps for centuries was the principal element. chorus / ˈkɔːrəs / n (pl-ruses) a large choir of singers or a piece of music composed for such a choir a body of singers or dancers who perform Sometimes the chorus provides a change of the scene which the audience can imagine. It is the function of the Chorus to comment on actions and events. 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