Chorus Narrative Role example essay topic

In answering this question, I will look at the question in two ways. Firstly, I will look at the role of the chorus objectively, examining the basic role of the chorus in the play, and looking at the role of the Chorus as Sophocles would have intended the role of the Chorus to be understood. However, I will then look at how I think the Greek audience would have perceived the role of the Chorus and then how the role of the Chorus is perceived today by a 20th century and examine the key differences in the two different sets of perceptions. Finally, I will look at the importance of the role of the Chorus to a 20th century audience and a Greek audience respectively. The Chorus in the play Oedipus has three basic functions. Firstly, to act as bystanders throughout the play, observing what goes on, reacting and offering opinions at regular intervals throughout the play (e.g. when Oedipus accuses Croon irrationally of conspiring against him, the Chorus says To one who fears fall, his words seem good; O king, swift counsels are not always safe) In this role they are important to the play as they often offer the voice of reason during moments of heated debate, the voice of fear and confusion during Oedipus downfall, which seems to mirror the audiences reaction and emotion in many situations throughout the play.

The Chorus are also used as a sort of receptive audience for passages of description over what has gone on behind closed doors (e.g. after Jocasta has realised the truth the second messenger describes the scene inside the palace to the Chorus: Within the porch, straight to the couch she rushed, her bridal bed, and tore her hair) Secondly, the Chorus offers a sort of running narrative for the audience. This function is equ all vital to the success of the play. The Chorus often speaks in this way at the end of a scene to clarify what has just gone on. (e.g. at the end of the first scene, the chorus clarifies the diseased state that the city of Thebes has descended into: Still breeding plague, un pitied infants lie and wives and mothers, grey with hoary age by every alter mourn.) Finally, the Chorus is used to keep the continuity during the play. In modern theatre, the plays are normally split up into scenes and acts. However, the Greek kept the continuity between these natural gaps, by having a narrative section. This prevented the necessity of having breaks in the action and also kept the audience up to date with what had just gone on, and perhaps offering some insight or other.

In this role, I think the Chorus is very helpful to the audience, as it succeeds in keeping the audience on the edge of their seats. I think that in the play Oedipus, Sophocles intended the Chorus to be a constant significant part of the play, observing and reacting to situations, whilst never being the centre of attention during the main story, and only coming to the fore during the narrative passages of the play. However, in addressing the role of the Chorus in this play, I think it is vital that one decides whether the role of the Chorus is and objective role, inserted in to the play by Sophocles and unaffected by the audiences perception, or whether the role is subjective, and the significance of the role depends upon the viewers perception of the Chorus role in the play. In my opinion, the role of the Chorus is certainly subjective and depends almost entirely upon the audience. I think that although the basic participation of the Chorus in the play cant be changed, the significance of their part can certainly alter quite considerably depending to the type of audience or viewer and their own perception due to experience.

Consequently, the role of the Chorus would have a different significance for an ancient Greek audience and a 20th century audience. The Greek audience would, no doubt, place a great deal more significance on the role of the Chorus than a 20th century audience would. The common use of a Chorus in Greek plays meant that the audiences almost expected any play to contain one, therefore, the concept of a Chorus was not one they were not used to. Therefore, the Greek audiences would have understood the many voices speaking together much more easily than a 20th century viewer.

Also, the narrative passages spoken by the Chorus would be better received by the Greek audience, as they are used to this type of narration, once more this would be alien to a 20th century audience. Furthermore, the environment in which the play Oedipus was originally performed was the Greek amphitheatre. This held approximately 17000 people. One can imagine that it may have been quite difficult for people further away from the stage to here the main characters as there was no amplification other than the natural acoustics. It is therefore reasonable to assume that the Chorus narrative role was very important in situations such as these, as many voices speaking in unison are certainly louder than a single voice, and therefore more easily heard. In this environment, then, the Chorus would have played a large role in the audiences understanding of the play, as well as keeping the tension, excitement, dread and mirroring the emotions felt by the audience throughout the play.

However, to a 20th century audience, the role is somewhat less significant. In plays today, the breaks in between scenes heightens the tensions by inducing the audience to wonder; What happens next Hence the Chorus role in keeping the continuity is unnecessary. Moreover, due to the audiences ignorance and unfamiliarity with the role of the Chorus in Greek plays, the tension, instead of being heightened by the Chorus, is diminished, as the audience no longer concentrate during the narrative passages. This is partially due to their unfamiliarity in listening to several voices speaking at once, and partially due to the lack of requirement of a narrative passage as in most cases, the action has spoken for itself. The Chorus can therefore become a boring and unwelcome disruption to the flow of the play. However, this does not alter the fact that the Chorus still has a significant role to play, even for a 20th century audience.

The way in which the Chorus mirrors the reactions and emotions of the audience during the play, as well as the other basic roles held by the Chorus are still vital to the success and understanding of the play Oedipus, even to a 20th century audience. To conclude, the chorus fulfil vital functions if the play is being performed in an Amphitheatre or in a modern theatre. They act as a narrative, summarising the most recent action (on-stage or not). They take on the role of bystanders who watch and react to the action as it happens. Also they maintain the continuity as their being present removes any need for scene or act changes. In the Greek theatre they take on a significant role of emphasising the storyline by groups speaking in unison rather than one single actor trying to reach the ears of around 17,000 listeners.

They were after-all a very natural part of Greek theatre and their absence would certainly reflect an unorthodox presentation. They also keep the emotion running as any scene changing can be done during their narrative sections. In a 20th Century production the chorus perform a seemingly less essential role. As there would be ample amplification of sound the chorus could be projected to the role of town folk who would fit into the structure of the play neatly..