Literary Terms (An ABC of English Literature)
Chorus:
Chorus is a group of performers who sing, dance and at times take part in the action of a play. The number of persons in a chorus may be reduced from a group to a single person. According to Aristotle (Poetics, Chapter xi) it is one of the constituent elements of tragedy. The functions of chorus in classical tragedies are many. It___
a) determines the structure of a Greek tragedy,
b) creates background and sets tone and atmosphere;
c) comments on past and present events and hints at what is coming next;
d) sometimes takes part in action ;
e) covers the time-gap between episodes;
f) affirms the wise views of the society;
g) gives touches of religious solemnity and common humanity.
★Chorus is an integral part of all classical tragedies. Sophocles has used it in Oedipus Rex, Oedipus at Colonus and Antigone, Modern writers have also used it. Marlowe has used it in Doctor Faustus, Milton has used it in Samson Agonistes. Some modern dramatists replaced the chorus by a character. For example, the fool in King Lear does what the chorus would have done.