Greek chorus

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The Greek chorus (choros) is believed to have grown out of the Greek dithyrambs and tragikon drama in tragic plays of the ancient Greek theatre. The chorus offers a variety of background and summary information to help the audience follow the performance, commented on main themes, and showed how an ideal audience might react to the drama as it was presented. They also represent the general populace of any particular story. In many ancient Greek plays, the chorus expressed to the audience what the main characters could not say, such as their fears or secrets. The chorus usually communicated in song form, but sometimes spoke their lines in unison.

The chorus was an essential, primary component of early Greek theater during a time when tragedy and comedy were lyrical works. Before the introduction of multiple, interacting actors by Aeschylus, the Greek chorus was the main performer in relation to a solitary actor.^[1]^[2] The importance of the chorus declined after the 5th century BC, when the chorus began to be separated from the dramatic action. Later dramatists, such as Sophocles depended on the chorus less than their predecessors. In the Theban plays of Sophocles, the chorus serves as a body of omniscient commentators that often reinforce the moral of the story. The chorus will switch between the roles of "commentator" and "character". When the chorus is acting as a character, they often provide other characters with the insight they need.

The Greek chorus had to work in unison to help explain the play as there were only 1 - 3 actors on stage who were already playing several parts each. As the Greek amphitheatres were so large, the chorus' actions had to be exaggerated and their voices clear so that everyone could see and hear them. To do this they used techniques such as synchronization, echo, ripple, physical theatre and the use of masks to aid them.