The chorus in Greek theatre played a critical role in conveying the story to the audience. It was the main source of information, as the actors spoke directly to the audience, while the chorus’ speech was mostly sung or chanted. The chorus was made up of 12-15 members, usually all male, who were usually slaves or citizens of lower ranks.
The chorus usually announced and commented on events that had occurred before or during a play. They also provided commentary on characters’ motivations and choices throughout the play. This allowed them to bring an emotional depth to each scene and to help move the plot forward.
The chorus also provided a sense of unity between actors and audience. As they were mostly composed of citizens from all levels of society, they could relate to both actors and audience members alike. This made their songs more meaningful and powerful to those watching the play.
The music used by the chorus was often simple but effective in conveying emotion. It was usually composed in dactylic hexameter – a meter that has six syllables per line with alternating long and short syllables – which gave it a very rhythmic sound that could carry through even large amphitheatres. This allowed everyone in attendance to be able to understand what was being said without having to strain their ears too much.
Finally, the chorus helped bring themes and messages across without having words spoken directly by characters on stage. This allowed for greater subtlety when conveying messages about morality, politics, and other topics throughout a play’s performance.
In conclusion, the chorus in Greek theatre played an important role in conveying storylines and emotions within plays for audiences throughout Ancient Greece. Through its use of music, dialogue, commentary and more it provided a sense of unity between actors and audience members alike as well as helping bring across themes without characters needing to say anything at all.