The chorus was an integral part of the Classical Greek theatre. The chorus was a group of actors who would sing and dance their way through a play and serve as a kind of collective narrator. As the action unfolded, the chorus would comment on it and provide insight into what was going on.
The chorus would usually consist of anywhere from 12 to 15 people, all dressed in similar costumes. They were usually male but that could vary depending on the production. The chorus members would often have masks or helmets to help them move more easily around the stage and to make their presence more striking.
The primary role of the chorus was to comment upon and interpret the action for the audience. Through their songs, chants, and dances they would interpret what was going on in a particular scene, often reflecting upon ideas such as morality, justice, mortality, love, and power. They were able to provide commentary without interrupting the action itself thanks to their ability to move around quickly and expressively.
The chorus also served an important structural role in Greek tragedy. They were able to break up long monologues or speeches by interjecting at key moments with songs or chants that could serve as transitions between scenes or acts. This allowed for smoother story-telling as well as greater audience engagement with the play itself.
In addition to being narrators and providing structure for plays, choruses also provided a sense of continuity throughout a play by introducing characters and themes which had been established earlier on in the production. This allowed audiences to easily follow along with storylines even if they had missed out on parts earlier on in the performance due to distractions or other reasons.
Overall, choruses played an incredibly important role in classical Greek theatre by providing commentary on themes such as justice, morality, power, mortality, love etc., as well as offering structural continuity throughout performances. They helped audiences better understand what was going on while also helping keep them engaged by providing humorous commentaries that could break up long monologues or speeches without disrupting too much of the story-telling itself.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, it is clear that choruses served an essential function in classical Greek theatre by providing both commentary and structure throughout each performance while also helping engage audiences with humorous interjections at key moments throughout each performance.