The Greek Chorus By Simon Levien

A standard Greek chorus

   
    The Greek chorus, by definition, is a group of masked performers that collectively perform many different roles throughout traditional Greek tragedies and comedies. The chorus would be robed head to toe and sing in unison. In summary of their dramatic functions, the Greek chorus provided playwrights with the ability to comment on events within the play, from within the play. The chorus acted as an aside, a way to demonstrate public point of view, an insightful informant, or even used as characters to describe the play's theme. Athenian tragedian Sophocles in his plays Antigone and Oedipus the King used the chorus masterfully. In one scene, the chorus decried Oedipus for his vile action of killing his father and marrying his mother. Collectively, the chorus here provides an insight into the public reputation of Oedipus. Although he was previously considered to be a zealous and just ruler, Oedipus' reputation soon fell apart. The chorus states that the city of Thebes would have been better off without Oedipus and his rule; he became a disgrace to all of his fellow Thebans. However, by the time of Sophocles, the Greek chorus has already reached fruition. His texts do not allude to the chorus's extensive preparation and planning. Beneath the polished hood of a refined play, the choral structure lies. In it, the Greeks found ways to organize and train the layman for the theater stage, and design the chorus to be an effective dramatic tool.
    To start, most Greek choruses would sing rather than speak. Playwrights found it easier to evoke emotion from the chorus members rather than rely on their minimal acting skills. These Greek playwrights turned to simple choral odes for the majority of choral lines. Many of the chorus's lines in Oedipus the King have a hint of rhythmic structure.
    As for chorus size, each playwright has their own preference. Earliest Greek plays used choruses consisting of fifty members. However, Aeschylus first made the choice to have fewer members—around ten was his verdict. For the purposes of Antigone and Oedipus the King, Sophocles used fifteen members. Greek theaters were very large and as a result, playwrights decided on united, reverberating parts for the chorus so the audience can properly hear.
    Playwrights also used the chorus for signaling. The Greeks had no curtains and only outdoor performance venues. Choruses would substitute for curtains, where their opening and closing processions mark the start and end of each act or play.
    The coryphaeus is the one chorus member that stands apart from the rest. The coryphaeus would often have individual lines apart from the chorus and be specially trained in order to deliver those lines. The chorus would respond in unison to the coryphaeus' remarks, often in support.
    However, the real ringmaster of the Greek Chorus is the choregus or choregos. The choregos is a wealthy Athenian that managed the chorus. He financed and trained the chorus, using his own money. Chorus training in Greek culture was considered a public service; an essential duty that noble Athenians must undertake. There was no government official that ensure that the choregos fulfilled his duty, instead the archon, a high-ranking Athenian magistrate, would appoint the choregos with trust in him. Preparations for the chorus lasted around six months. However, chorus training soon became a social occasion. After successfully providing all of the trainers, preparations, props, costumes, etc. that the chorus needed, the choregos would host a celebratory feast, much like a sports banquet or a modern cast party.
    Although the Greek chorus's origins remain mostly unknown, the Greek chorus still proves to be an interesting and extensive dramatic tool. Aside from many Greek performances, some contemporary plays do incorporate a chorus. For example, playwright Mac Wellman's Bad Penny utilizes a chorus in a more modern setting. In addition, the Greek chorus is a common TV trope, albeit only loosely connected to theatre. The chorus in summary is an interesting experiment in drama. It not only serves many unique functions resulting from extensive preparation, but also revealing the dynamism of characters within a play.

The Oedipus Complex by Chloe Caldi.

The Oedipus Complex

In class we are currently reading Oedipus the King, which is the story of a man who unknowingly kills his father, then marries and procreates with his mother. Oedipus himself is the namesake of the psychological complex that occurs in young boys, usually between the ages of 3-6. These children feel as though they are in competition with their fathers for their mother's attention. They have distaste, anger, or sometimes even aggressive feelings towards their same sex parent. This dislike for father figures is coupled with a sexual desire to be with their mothers. They may even wish for a future with their mothers, wanting to get rid of their fathers, and go on to marry their moms. The same can be said for young girls and their fathers, which is often referred to as the Electra Complex. This is a phase for most children; this taboo desire only lasts through early childhood in most cases. However, some children carry it throughout their lives. This may cause problems in adult relationships, which can be referred to as "mommy issues" or "daddy issues".

Sources:

"Oedipus Complex." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 09 Nov. 2016.

The Importance of Masks in Ancient Greek Theatre- Sarah West

Over the past few weeks, our english class has begun to study greek theatre and read a greek drama, Oedipus the King. During this unit, our class discussed the importance of the theatre to ancient greek society, and the elements involved in a performance. The one element I feel is the most recognizable are the masks that were used to depict emotion.

Unfortunately, these masks were often made of organic materials, such as wood or cork, so there is no physical evidence that survives to this day of this ancient greek tradition. However, what we do know about these lost historical artifacts comes from 5th century artwork. The masks were helmet-like, covering the whole head and often included wigs made form human or animal hair. They were used for a variety of reasons, to effectively show emotion and establish a character, to allow the same actor to play multiple characters without confusing the audience, to represent dramatic changes in character throughout a performance, to unify the chorus if it was necessary to show that the whole chorus was meant to portray one multi-voiced character or a specific group of people, and some historians even believe that the opening for the mouth may have even helped to amplify the actors' voices, to more easily be heard throughout the large theater. 

Ancient greek masks were both artistic and beautiful, but also were crucial for the audience's understanding of the drama. Without the largely exaggerated features on the mask it would not be easy for the audience to be able to see the differences in emotion, characters, and characteristics of each character such as gender and social class in the large open air theaters. These masks were a unique and essential element to drama in ancient Greece.


Citation: "Costume & Masks". Greek Theatre. N.p., 2016. Web. 17 Nov. 2016.