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Hence the chorus would create interest by presenting an alternative or additional viewpoint. In his These primal forces would be at the command of the playwright through the choice of character and composition of the chorus. Chorus definition at Dictionary.com, a free online dictionary with pronunciation, synonyms and translation. Whilst actors spoke, the chorus sang and danced. In order to understand the function of the chorus one must remember that at the origins of Greek drama there was only one actor; and even at later dates no more than three actors occupied the stage, each of whom may have played several roles. As there was this clear need to distract the audience while the actors went off-stage to change clothes and costumes, and perhaps prepare for their next role, the function of the chorus may have had more to do with practicality, than with artistic or philosophical considerations.Aside from the practical the chorus would have had numerous functions in providing a comprehensive and continuous artistic unit. More importantly though, the chorus could have represented the prevalent views of the contemporary society holding up certain moral and cultural standards – much like the media does for modern people throughout their daily livesIn case of Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex the audience may have already been familiar – and in many cases probably was - with the outcome of the play. The chorus in Classical Greek drama was a group of actors who described and commented upon the main action of a play with song, dance, and recitation. This made the task of engaging the viewer ever more difficult. Although the historical origins of Greek drama are unclear it may be said it had relevance to religion, art and to the love of expression and perceptive storytelling in general. A chorus in a classical Greek play typically serving to formulate, express, and comment on the moral issue that is raised by the dramatic action or to express an emotion appropriate to each stage of the dramatic conflict. 22–23), Pavis (1998, p. 53), Rehm (1992, p. 26) Such usage of the choral structure-making functions may be observed throughout many classical plays but may be more obvious in some than in others.“I mourn for thee, Prometheus, minished and brought low, In the works of Nietzsche the chorus takes on a completely new and profound philosophical meaning. 5525 xorós – dancing, which in the Bible is viewed as wholesome (when done modestly, etc.). However, some lyrics in Greek odes have long syllables that are equal to 3, 4 and 5 shorter syllables. Indeed, "dancing is even commended in the Bible" (G. Archer). The word is used in Luke 15:25. Some historians argue that the chorus was itself considered to be an actor.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.The chorus represents, on stage, the general population of the particular story, in sharp contrast with many of the themes of the ancient Greek plays which tended to be about individual heroes, gods, and goddesses. Aeschylus likely lowered the number to twelve, and Sophocles raised it again to fifteen.The chorus performed using several techniques, including singing, dancing, narrating, and acting.They often communicated in song form, but sometimes spoke their lines in unison. Dancers preparing for Greek Chorus. Spoken words cannot do that, suggesting that this was a danced and sung rhythm.The chorus originally consisted of fifty members, but some later playwrights changed the size. This is exemplified by how Oedipus’ (who is all but blind to his fate) and Teiresias’ conversation is affected by the chorus.Both in the works of Aeschylus and Sophocles and in Ancient Greek drama in general, the role of the chorus may have been important because of structural and practical reasons. How to use chorus … choros Eng., "chorus", primarily denoted "an enclosure for dancing;" hence, "a company of dancers and singers." As the See also : choros es 1. a. A Greek chorus, or simply chorus (Greek: χορός, choros), 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. Before the introduction of multiple, interacting actors by At their best, they may have become performance art, blending music, lyrics, and dance, performed by polished Brockett and Hildy (2003, pp. The C horus thus was large ly a song and dance ensemble. Certainly it also had a similar role to music in modern drama underlining important events and downplaying the less important ones. It may have negotiated sympathies for one or another character, or perhaps depending on the sophistication of the particular character, it may have even guided the characters through problematic situations. Find more Greek words at wordhippo.com! b. NAS Exhaustive Concordance. The origins of the chorus in particular may have stemmed out of ancient rites and rituals with elements of … Definition: a dance, chorus Usage: a dance, dancing. Photo by Andrew Mirhej. Perhaps most generally though, the chorus would give the ancient playwright a multifunctional literary device for the creation of an award-winning play on the Dionysian festival.