Andrew Stutts

It is uncertain why the Greeks starting using the chorus in plays. The Greeks may have used them due to their application to religion, art, expressiveness, and their effectiveness in storytelling. The origins of the chorus could even possibly owe its existence to ancient rites and rituals.

To better understand the purpose of the chorus, it is important to remember that when the first Greek dramas were performed there was only one actor. Even during later stages in the development of Greek drama there were no more than three actors and each of them played many different roles.

In Greek drama there was a need to distract the audience. This distraction was needed while the actors went off-stage to change clothes and costumes, and perhaps prepare for their next role. Finally, the function of the chorus may have had more to do with necessity, then for any artistic reason.

In addition to being practical, the chorus would have had numerous functions in providing a complete and uninterrupted artistic piece. First, according to a view accepted by many scholars, the chorus would provide commentary on action and events. This helped create a deeper and more meaningful connection between the characters and the audience. The chorus also would allow for the creation of an environment only attainable by controlling the atmosphere and expectations of the audience. Lastly, the chorus would allow for the preparation of the audience for certain key moments in the play and to build up momentum or slow down the tempo.

The functions of the chorus in Greek comic and tragic drama are basically the same. They both were used to sing and dance choral odes and engage in dialogue with the actors. However, there were some minor differences between the comic and tragic chorus. The comic chorus had 24 members, whereas the tragic had 15 members. The major difference was that people in a comic chorus often impersonated non-human characters such as clouds, wasps, birds, and Frogs. Additionally, many times the play was named after the chorus. Despite these minor differences, the function of the comic and tragic chorus was fundamentally the same.