The Role of the Chorus in Lysistrata - What is the role of the chorus in greek theatre

A chorus is known as a group of vocalists who put on musical performances in theater. The chorus is what adds the element of music a play. Throughout the history of theater, the role of a chorus has been known to change over time. A chorus in Greek drama during its classical era was defined as “a group of actors who described and commented upon the main action of a play with song, dance, and recitation(\”Chorus\”).\” Whenever there is action being displayed in the scene of a play, the chorus gives a description as to what is occurring in the form of a musical performance. This happens most often during passages where there is no dialogue. The lines uttered by the chorus “have something ‘to do with what is going on in the play.’”(Weiner 206) It’s quite similar to that of what we see in the modern era with films. Whenever we see an action scene in a movie, music is used when there is little to no dialogue in order to amplify the sensation of drama in the film. During the early days of Greek theater, the primary role of the chorus was in the transitions of the scenes, due to the fact that there was a “clear need to distract the audience while the actors went off-stage to change clothes and costumes.” (“Chorus in Greek”) As the actors prepared for their next act, the chorus would capture the attention of the audience by dancing and singing. One thing to note is that a chorus in Ancient Greece “was made of three to 50 men” since plays during this time “featured few actors and took place in large theaters.” (“What is the Function”) This means that the chorus had to “perform in an exaggerated manner and in unison to let the audience know what was going on.” (“What is the Function”) Of course as time progressed, more actors would begin to appear on the stages. This meant that “as the importance of the actors increased, the choral odes became fewer in number and tended to have less importance in the plot.” (“Chorus”)In the play Lysistrata, the chorus is split between women and old men. In one passage of the play, the chorus of old men is used to give a description of an attack on Acropolis:Chorus of OLD MEN enter to attack the captured Acropolis.Make room, Draces, move ahead; why

your shoulder\’s chafed, I see,With lugging uphill these lopped branches of the olive-tree.How upside-down and wrong-way-round a long life sees things grow.Ah, Strymodorus, who\’d have thought affairs could tangle so?The women whom at home we fed,Like witless fools, with fostering bread,Have impiously come to this–They\’ve stolen the Acropolis,With bolts and bars our orders floutAnd shut us out. (Aristophanes)This passage depicts men attacking Acropolis, which has been occupied by the women led by Lysistrata. The description within this passage uttered by the chorus of old men also contains rhyme, suggesting that it is being uttered in a musical tone. As the men are attacking Acropolis, the chorus utters this passage to put into perspective to the audience what the men are thinking or supposedly shouting as they continue their attack on the city. The chorus narrates the action happening in the scene from the perspective of the men, in which they state that they have been locked out of the city by the same women that they care for.Likewise, the chorus of women is used to convey the reactions of the attack from the characters of the female gender:Chorus of WOMEN.What\’s that rising yonder? That ruddy glare, that smoky skurry?O is it something in a blaze? Quick, quick, my comrades, hurry!Nicodice, helter-skelter!Or poor Calyce\’s in flamesAnd Cratylla\’s stifled in the welter.O these dreadful old menAnd their dark laws of hate!There, I\’m all of a tremble lest I turn out to be too late. (Aristophanes)Here the chorus of women puts into perspective the point of view of the women to the audience as the scene of the attack plays out. They state that the women who occupied Acropolis are trying to take shelter upon commencement of the attack from the men. Aristophanes uses the chorus of women to convey to the audience that the women in the play perceive their male counterparts as those who go by “their dark laws of hate.” This is implying that the men are full of hate and have no sympathy for those who suffer during the war.Throughout the course of the play, the chorus depicts a war of thoughts between the male and female genders in relation to the war between Athens and Sparta. On one side, the male members of the chorus are conveying the point of view of the men regarding the war, in which they don’t see a reason for the war end and insist on continuing to battle. This is present in the play when the chorus of men states, “for a man must strip to battle like a man.” (Aristophanes). This is a phrase that men must battle like men, implying that battling will demonstrate their masculinity, and that war is a matter of those who are male. On the other side, the female members of the chorus are conveying the message of the war from the perspective of the women.

They say that the women are fond of the war and want peace. In the play, female members of the chorus state, “our lives and persons hazardous by some imbecile mistakes.” (Aristophanes) The message that the chorus is trying to send to the audience pertains to how exactly the women in the play think about the war. The women led by the protagonist Lysistrata see the war between Athens and Sparta as a mistake that is causing pain and suffering among the citizens of both cities. The message is directed to the men whom they refer to as imbeciles for not putting an end to the war and making an attempt to negotiate a peace treaty. This constant back and forth bickering from members of the chorus is what lets us know what the conflict in the play is when there is no dialogue from the actors. The conflict in this case is the different points of view from the men and women on the war. This in turn generates the drama in the play, thus bringing the emotions in the play to a climax.To conclude, the primary role of the chorus in this play was more than just providing a musical narration to the audience as to what was happening in play. Its role was to show the back and forth arguments between the male and female gender on a war between two Greek cities. The point of view of the men represented war, while on the women’s side the point of view represented peace.

Encyclopaedia Britannica, Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc., 20 July 1998, www.britannica.com/art/chorus-theatre. Accessed July 29 2019.“The Function of Chorus in Greek Drama.” Kris Hamer, 25 Mar. 2008, Krishaamer.com/function-chorus-greek-drama/. Accessed 29 July 2019.Weiner, Albert. “The Function of the Tragic Greek Chorus.” Theatre Journal, vol. 32, no.2, 1980, p. 205-212. EBSCOhost, doi:10.2307/3207113.“What is the Function of the Chorus in a Greek Drama?” Reference, Ask Media Group, www.reference.com/art-literature/function-chorus-greek-drama-12912e9aab4e818.

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