Oedipus

A detailed Summary of Oedipus

The major role in Oedipus of the Chorus as previously outlined is that of commentary. The chorus clarifies the situation to the audience in a way that enables the audience to fully comprehend the nature and general ebb and flow of the plot. For example when at the end of the play, when Creon's final words have been uttered, the chorus comments on the fate of Oedipus by saying

To reckon no man happy till ye witness

Here we can see the role of commenting on the action in giving the subsequent verdict of history. The Chorus comments on the plot lucidly, enabling us to reach a greater understanding of the play and the philosophical values it subscribes to. Thus it could be argued, that it increases our satifaction and feeling that we have learnt something above and beyond the mere narrative plot.

In addition to this the chorus also has a significant part to play in the expression of the fears and hopes of the populace. An example of this fear shown on the first entrance of the Chorus, before the horrific realities are yet known:

Through all my soul I quiver in suspense,

In brooding dread, what doom, of present growth,

The Greek audience would, no doubt, place a great deal more significance on the role of the Chorus than a 20th century audience would. The common use of a Chorus in Greek plays meant that the audiences almost expected any play to contain one, therefore, the concept of a Chorus was not one they were not used to. Therefore, the Greek audiences would have understood the many voices speaking together much more easily than a 20th century viewer. Also, the narrative passages spoken by the Chorus would be better received by the Greek audience, as they are used to this type of narration, once more this would be alien to a 20th century audience. Furthermore, the environment in which the play Oedipus was originally performed was the Greek amphitheatre. This held approximately 17000 people. One can imagine that it may have been quite difficult for people further away from the stage to here the main characters as there was no amplification other than the natural acoustics. It is therefore reasonable to assume that the Chorus' narrative role was very important in situations such as these, as many voices speaking in unison are certainly louder than a single voice, and therefore more easily heard. In this environment, then, the Chorus would have played a large role in the audience's understanding of the play, as well as keeping the tension, excitement, dread and mirroring the emotions felt by the audience throughout the play.

However, in addressing the role of the Chorus in this play, I think it is vital that one decides whether the role of the Chorus is and objective role, inserted in to the play by Sophocles and unaffected by the audiences perception, or whether the role is subjective, and the significance of the role depends upon the viewer's perception of the Chorus' role in the play.

I think that in the play Oedipus, Sophocles intended the Chorus to be a constant significant part of the play, observing and reacting to situations, whilst never being the centre of attention during the main story, and only coming to the fore during the narrative passages of the play.

The Chorus in the play Oedipus has three basic functions. Firstly, to act as bystanders throughout the play, obser

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Approximate Word count = 1475
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English