Greek Theater Study Guide
- Overview of Greek Theater
- Important Facts About Greek Theater and Greek Drama
- Select Greek Theater Bibliography
- Greek Chorus
- Tragedy - Setting the Stage
- Aeschylus
- Sophocles
- Euripides
- Aristophanes
While to modern readers of Greek tragedy, the chorus seems an interlude between the main action -- a section to gloss over, just as the actor may ignore the advice of the chorus, the chorus was crucial to winning the competition for best set of tragedies. Aristotle says the chorus should be regarded as one of the actors. Being a member of a chorus was also part of the Greek civic education process.
The chorus enters the orchestra during the parados, from the two ramps known as paradoi on either side of the orchestra. Once there the leader, coryphaeus, speaks the choral dialogue. Scenes of dialogue (the episode) alternate with choral song, which is called stasimon. In this way the stasimon is like the darkening of the theater or curtains down between acts. The final scene of Greek tragedy is one of dialogue and is called the exodus.
For more on the Chorus, see "The Dramatic Role of the Chorus in Sophocles," by G. M. Kirkwood. Phoenix, Vol. 8, No. 1. (Spring, 1954), pp. 1-22.
