The Role Of The Chorus in Agamemnon by Aaeschylus

In order to understand the function of the chorus one must remember that at the origins of Greek drama there was only one actor; and even at later dates no more than three actors occupied the stage, each of whom may have played several roles. As there was this clear need to distract the audience while the actors went off-stage to change clothes and costumes, and perhaps prepare for their next role, the function of the chorus may have had more to do with practicality, than with artistic or philosophical considerations.And they sing song to describe the background and make environment. 

The Chorus plays a crucial role in the overall development of any Greek tragedy; they are responsible for providing the overall background and summary information of the play, alongside they interact with characters to develop the personalities of characters and drive the plot.

In most Greek tragedies, the writer uses the chorus as a tool to comment on action in the play. The chorus does not play an active role in the story, such that if they were removed from the work, the plot would not be affected.

Aeschylus utilizes a different form of chorus to put emphasis on certain themes and develop the plot more effectively. 

Throughout the work, the choruses do comment on the action of main characters, but as the trilogy progresses.

Within the Agamemnon the chorus can be seen to take a more traditional choral role in which they provide the audience with information to help them follow the story. 

The chorus in Agmemnon Performs a very important role .The chorus are elders of Argos .They express the same mixed feelings as the watchman with much stronger emphasis on foreboding.

It is not only Clytemnestra who causes their fear they strongly believe that Agamemnon will surely find a way to deal with his unfaithful wife when he returns .But they are also worried about at the thought that the king himself is burdened with guilt .They recount in detail how Agamemnon himself is faced with the consequence of guilt by way of inheriting the family curse from Atreus .

Secondly he is guilt by sacrificing his innocent daughter Iphigenia .

In Greek drama one thing is very clear that it is based on the combination of chorus and actors.The actors plays the action but chorus are also actors in the sense  that  they are the spectators of definite type and character without interfering the course of action ..

The use of chorus entirely depends on playwright and the needs of the play .The choral songs help building up the atmosphere.They also build up the background of the terrible violence that will soon follow as the core of the tragedy .

Chorus also interpret the action of the play instead of the poet .In Agamemnon the chorus have been called the ideal spectators of the play .

In some plays of Aeschylus the chorus appear as the central figure in the tragedy rather than onein a group of bystanders .  But chorus connected with the drama .

However let us discuss function of the chorus in the play Agamemnon . In Clytemnestra is first mentioned by the watchman ,as a woman with a man's will .In her first appearance before the elder of the chorus she ends her speech saying these are a women  worlds .They reply Madam your words are like a man's .

The chorus occupy half of the lines in Agamemnon .They at last denouncing the crime of Clytemnestra in an unequivocal language .

Eumenides