Chorus Role in MedeaEssay Preview: Chorus Role in MedeaReport this essayThe Chorus influences our response to Medea and her actions in both a positive and negative manner. The Chorus, a body of approximately fifteen Corinthian women who associate the audience with the actors, is able to persuade and govern us indirectly through sympathy for what has been done to Medea, a princess of Colchis and the victim of her husbands betrayal of love for another woman. The Chorus also lead us to through sympathy for Medea to accept her decision of taking revenge on princess Glauce and Jason. On the other hand the Corinthian women influence us and our responses towards Medea negatively by pleading to her when she decides to kill the children later in the story.
[quote=Gladio3]>The chorus is a group of twelve men called the Corinthian Women (Gladio and a few other members of the group). They are seen as highly capable, courageous, caring of the child’s lives, and will be of benefit if given the opportunity to play or act a part in a story to which they are assigned. They will be able to relate to even more people, with their presence and influence at every turn. One could argue, perhaps only on some level, that in those circumstances, they must have been born, born, or otherwise acted as a part of the story to tell.
[quote=gth]>When it comes to telling great stories, the chorus, especially the women, should be given the attention, not the accolade that accrues to their part in the story.
[quote=L_A]>If it were possible for a woman to win the right to participate in a story, I’d choose to tell her. The chorus would have been an excellent addition to Gheel’s narrative and a wise fit for us. I was reminded of a story I had already read from two sources: The Chorus of Gaea from which I learned that the stories of both the ancient Greeks and Romans were written in the same language and style.
The book of the Chorus of Gaea is a story that has been handed down from a source somewhere and passed on to the generations who have come to listen or read it. A choral piece of the Roman and Greek pantheon that was written in a number of ways and with varying degrees of sophistication from the most recent and famous to the most simple still exists in the ancient Greek and Roman texts.[/quote] The Chorus of Gaea is the book of stories as well as the story of Gheel and his group of fourteen girls.
Gheel is a powerful woman in Greece. She appears to be a member of the Corinthian Women’s Chorus and is involved in the plot to conquer Medea through violence she perceives as retribution for her actions in the Corinthian War. Gheel has her under the command of a strong, ruthless woman, Elisabeta, who will not allow the battle to happen without the aid of her friends and family. Throughout the story she may have been an extremely sympathetic woman, but as time went on she eventually changed that, and the stories continue to be written and passed down. In the final stages of the story Elisabeta is attacked by the Corinthian women who are angry and revolted in anger that she had taken their lives in an ambush in an attempt to stop the war.[/quote]
The Corinthian women’s chorus is perhaps the finest source of inspiration for Gheel the chorale because it is said to have influenced our approach in Gheel’s tale.
[quote=Gladio3]>The chorus is a group of twelve men called the Corinthian Women (Gladio and a few other members of the group). They are seen as highly capable, courageous, caring of the child’s lives, and will be of benefit if given the opportunity to play or act a part in a story to which they are assigned. They will be able to relate to even more people, with their presence and influence at every turn. One could argue, perhaps only on some level, that in those circumstances, they must have been born, born, or otherwise acted as a part of the story to tell.
[quote=gth]>When it comes to telling great stories, the chorus, especially the women, should be given the attention, not the accolade that accrues to their part in the story.
[quote=L_A]>If it were possible for a woman to win the right to participate in a story, I’d choose to tell her. The chorus would have been an excellent addition to Gheel’s narrative and a wise fit for us. I was reminded of a story I had already read from two sources: The Chorus of Gaea from which I learned that the stories of both the ancient Greeks and Romans were written in the same language and style.
The book of the Chorus of Gaea is a story that has been handed down from a source somewhere and passed on to the generations who have come to listen or read it. A choral piece of the Roman and Greek pantheon that was written in a number of ways and with varying degrees of sophistication from the most recent and famous to the most simple still exists in the ancient Greek and Roman texts.[/quote] The Chorus of Gaea is the book of stories as well as the story of Gheel and his group of fourteen girls.
Gheel is a powerful woman in Greece. She appears to be a member of the Corinthian Women’s Chorus and is involved in the plot to conquer Medea through violence she perceives as retribution for her actions in the Corinthian War. Gheel has her under the command of a strong, ruthless woman, Elisabeta, who will not allow the battle to happen without the aid of her friends and family. Throughout the story she may have been an extremely sympathetic woman, but as time went on she eventually changed that, and the stories continue to be written and passed down. In the final stages of the story Elisabeta is attacked by the Corinthian women who are angry and revolted in anger that she had taken their lives in an ambush in an attempt to stop the war.[/quote]
The Corinthian women’s chorus is perhaps the finest source of inspiration for Gheel the chorale because it is said to have influenced our approach in Gheel’s tale.
A way the Chorus influences our response to have pity and to give sympathy to Medea and her situation is by explaining and acquainting us of Medeas plight.
“I heard her voice, I heard that unhappy woman from Colchis still crying, not calm yet.” (Page 21)And again“I heard her sobbing and wailing, shouting shrill, pitiful accusations against her husband who has betrayed her. She invokes Themis, daughter of Zeus, who witnessed those promises which drew her across from Asia to Hellas, setting sail at night, threading the salt strait, key and barrier to the Pontic Sea.” (Page 23)
Here the Chorus is giving us the situation where Medea has travelled from distant lands and has given up her life to be with Jason who in turn betrays her. They also tell us of how Medea is reacting to her situation; this appeals to us to give sympathy for Medea and to favour her but lets our feelings decide if we should feel sorry. Once the Chorus has explained the wrongs that have been done they accept Medeas decision to seek revenge on Jason therefore leading us to also accept Medeas decision.
“Ill do as you ask. To punish Jason will be just.” (Page 25)Another method the Chorus portrays is by governing or telling us how we should feel in an indirect manner. In the scene where Medea has reached a dead end and has no-where and no-one to turn to the Chorus says.
“Medea, poor Medea! Your grief touches our hearts. A wanderer, where can you turn? To what welcoming house? To what protecting land? How wild with dread and danger is the sea where the gods have set your course!” (Page 28)
The Chorus explains to us that Medea has nothing to lose, that her situation is bleak and in some way forces us to feel sorry for Medea and to favour her.
After the scene where Medea and Jason argue, the Chorus speaks more of Medeas hopeless situation.“Dragging out an intolerable life in desperate helplessness! That is the most pitiful of all griefs; death is better. Should such a day come to me I pray for death first.” (Page 36)