Greek Chorus In History
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THE GREEK CHORUS SMALL PLACE IN HISTORY
The history of the Greek Chorus can be traced back to a relatively small time period; from the original Dithyrambs, to Thespis small, but revolutionizing changes to the system, to Aeschylus triple entente of tragedies The Oresteia, which included the infamous Agamemnon. To truly understand the Greek Chorus, and what role it was meant to play when it was created and thereafter altered, one has to go back to the beginning of timewhich in this case happens to be somewhere around the seventh century, B.C. During this time, the festival of Dionysus was held annually in Athens to celebrate and honor the god for which it was named. Dionysus, being the Greek (and Roman) god of wine and of an orgiastic religion celebrating the power and fertility of nature, was a god mainly devoted to pleasure. (As it turns out, Dionysus generally had an accompaniment of nymphs and satyrs; this fits in quite well with his sexually promiscuous personage.) (“Dionysus” 391) These festivals consisted of somewhere in the area of fifty men (occasionally dressed up as non-human entities such as birds, clouds, frogs, etc) who sang ceremonial songs and danced throughout the festivities. The effort of dancing and singing for such long periods of time has often been compared to competing in the Olympic Games. (Greek Tragedy and Chorus)
After over one hundred years of this, a man named Thespis got the chance to direct the festive dances. In 534 B.C. Thespis separated one man from the group, and coordinated the dance to be a call-and-response-type arrangement. The dancers sang and danced mostly as usual, while the separated man called out to, commented on, and talked with the rest of the group, usually in verse. After several years, this slowly evolved into the Greek chorus, mostly as it is known today. The dancers eventually became actors in a play, and the chorus became larger until their number reached at least a dozen or more, depending on what type of play was being acted out. Comedies generally consisted of up to two dozen men, while tragedies usually contained twelve to fifteen members of the chorus. The men, who were usually just about to enter military service after some years of training, as Athenians were taught at quite an early age to sing and dance, often portrayed women as well, because women were forbidden to become actors, much like in the age of Elizabethan theatre. (Greek Tragedy and Chorus)
The chorus, however, also served other purposes. They made the transitions between the skenes so that the actors could have time to enter and leave the stage area, and they also announced who the actors were playing. And instead of being completely detached from the action of the play, the chorus often became an entire character who interacted with the actors, and who generally represented the common peoples thoughts and ideas. It is even said, that actors could and did step out of the skene and joined the chorus, though the chorus was forbidden to enter the skene with the actors. (Greek Tragedy and Chorus) Beginning at this time also, the Greek chorus also began to dress like the main character or hero did, whether they happened to be portraying a man or woman. (Watt 15) The chorus actually evolved to become part of the entertainment, not just a small sideshow.
Of the hundreds of plays that were written in the fifth century B.C., weve only recovered a total of 33 tragedies, 11 comedies, and 1 satyr. Among the most famous, is a tragic trilogy called The Oresteia, which includes Aeschylus infamous tragedy, Agamemnon. The chorus is heavily used in this unique play, as they have over half of the lines in the play. They interact with nearly every character, and comment to the audience on almost every event that happens during the performance. Throughout the theatrical presentation, the chorus also adds something else; they garner sympathy for the heroes of the piece, add ironic hopes for the main characters, and act as a sort of link between the audience and the actors so that they may draw the spectators in, despite the fact that many members of the audience are fully aware of the outcome of the story. (Biblical & Classical Literature)
Throughout Agamemnon the chorus recounts the dangerous journey of the Achaeans over the sea to Troy, and they often speak with undisguised malice at the way that Paris came across the sea, stole Helen, and caused the great war that led to the deaths of many common soldiers. They do not, however, limit their anger to Paris; the common people are also resentful that Agamemnon, their king, would actually go to war for his younger brother Menelaus over one woman. “But I: when you marshaled this armament for Helens sake, I will not hide it, in ugly style you were written in my heart for steering aslant the minds course to bring home by blood sacrifice and dead men that wild spirit.” (Grene and Lattimore 29) (Whom, incidentally, after the war Menelaus rejects because she had been used) (Goudie)
After the return of their king, however, the chorus is willing to forgive and forget, because he has been victorious in his great battle, and has come home to recover power from his wife, Queen Clytemnestra, who exclaims to her husband that shes been as faithful to him as shes ever beenwhich we either know already or find out that while is true, is very deceptive. Clytemnestra was not only having an affair with Aegisthus, son of Thyestes, she was also planning the murder of her husband with him. (The thing that probably sealed Agamemnons fate was probably his sacrifice of their daughter, Iphigenia, to Artemis when the winds stop carrying his ships towards Troy.) The chorus never shows an ounce of liking for her, but instead grudgingly admits that, “when the man is gone and the throne void, his right falls to the princes lady, and honor must be given.” (Grene and Lattimore 12) So, even though they dont know of Clytemnestras evil directly, they still show her no respect and even a bit sexist at times. When Clytemnestra speaks to the chorus that the Achaeans had taken Troy that very night, they are skeptical and poke fun at her in their disbelief. “Yet how can I be certain? Is there some evidence?… Is it dream visions, easy to believe, you credit?… The charm, then, of some rumor, that made rich your hope?” (Grene and Lattimore 13)
To be fair, Clytemnestras not the only one whos been unfaithful; Agamemnon came home with his new slave, Cassandra, who happens to be the sister of Paris and Hector. And while Agamemnon hasnt really been true to his wife, it really wasnt considered