During the Renaissance the role of the chorus was revised. Their judgment is the verdict of history.Īs the importance of the actors increased, the choral odes became fewer in number and tended to have less importance in the plot, until at last they became mere decorative interludes separating the acts. While the tragic protagonists act out their defiance of the limits subscribed by the gods for man, the chorus expresses the fears, hopes, and judgment of the polity, the average citizens. The distinction between the passivity of the chorus and the activity of the actors is central to the artistry of the Greek tragedies. The chorus in Greek comedy numbered 24, and its function was displaced eventually by interspersed songs. Sophocles, who added a third actor, increased the chorus to 15 but reduced it to a mainly commentarial role in most of his plays (for an example of this role as shown in the play Oedipus the King, see video). Choral performances continued to dominate the early plays until the time of Aeschylus (5th century bce), who added a second actor and reduced the chorus from 50 to 12 performers. In the middle of the 6th century bce, the poet Thespis reputedly became the first true actor when he engaged in dialogue with the chorus leader. Greek tragedy had its beginnings in choral performances, in which a group of 50 men danced and sang dithyrambs-lyric hymns in praise of the god Dionysus. The chorus in Classical Greek drama was a group of actors who described and commented upon the main action of a play with song, dance, and recitation. SpaceNext50 Britannica presents SpaceNext50, From the race to the Moon to space stewardship, we explore a wide range of subjects that feed our curiosity about space!Ĭhorus, in drama and music, those who perform vocally in a group as opposed to those who perform singly.Learn about the major environmental problems facing our planet and what can be done about them! Saving Earth Britannica Presents Earth’s To-Do List for the 21st Century.Britannica Beyond We’ve created a new place where questions are at the center of learning.100 Women Britannica celebrates the centennial of the Nineteenth Amendment, highlighting suffragists and history-making politicians.
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