Role of the Chorus in Greek Theater

Songs

• Like more modern choruses, the Greek chorus would sing songs concerning the drama and characters in the play.
  
  

Exposition

• Greek choruses served to provide the viewers with plot exposition, essentially acting as narrators for many parts of the drama.
  
  

Audience Surrogates

• The Greek chorus often acted as audience surrogates, questioning the other characters' motives or warning them about the consequences of their actions.
  
  

Filler

• On a more practical level, the songs and speeches of the Greek chorus gave the other actors time to take a break while allowing the scenery to be adjusted and other changes made to the set.
  
  

Spectacle

• In the days of Greek theater, sets were very sparse and special effects nonexistent. The chorus lent a sense of epic to the setting, granting the play a grandeur it might not otherwise possess.