In drama, the chorus stands apart from the main action and comments on it. The chorus does not drive the plot; instead it observes, interprets, warns, and guides the audience's emotional response. The tradition originates in ancient Greek theatre and continues in Renaissance and modern drama, including Shakespeare.
Where does the theatrical chorus come from?
The chorus is one of the oldest elements of Western theatre. In ancient Greek tragedy — the works of Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides, composed between the fifth and fourth centuries BCE — the chorus was a group of twelve to fifteen performers who sang, chanted, and danced in the orchestra (the circular performance space) between episodes of dramatic action.
The Greek chorus had several functions:
- Commentary: explaining what has happened and what it means
- Emotional guidance: leading the audience's emotional response through song and lament
- Moral voice: articulating the values of the community, often warning the protagonist against hubris
- Foreshadowing: hinting at what is to come
- Structural marker: dividing the play into distinct episodes
As Greek theatre evolved, the chorus gradually diminished in size and importance. By the time of Euripides, it was already becoming less integrated into the action than in the earlier plays of Aeschylus.
How does Shakespeare use choric figures?
Shakespeare did not use a full singing and dancing chorus in the Greek tradition, but he adapted the concept in several important ways:
| Play | Choric device | Function |
|---|---|---|
| Romeo and Juliet | Prologue and Act 2 Prologue (spoken by "Chorus") | Summarises the plot; creates dramatic irony by telling the audience the lovers will die before the play begins |
| Henry V | Chorus speaks before each act | Compensates for the limits of the stage; asks the audience to imagine vast battle scenes |
| The Winter's Tale | "Time" — a personified figure who speaks as a Chorus | Bridges the sixteen-year gap between Acts 3 and 4 |
| Troilus and Cressida | Prologue delivered "In armour" | Sets the scene and establishes the play's ironic tone |
In Romeo and Juliet, the Chorus delivers the famous opening sonnet: "Two households, both alike in dignity, / In fair Verona, where we lay our scene…" This Prologue tells the audience that the lovers are "star-crossed" and will die — creating dramatic irony throughout the play. Every tender moment is shadowed by the audience's foreknowledge.
What is the dramatic function of a chorus?
The chorus creates distance between the action and the audience. By stepping outside the drama to comment on it, the chorus:
- Prevents the audience from getting too close — a chorusing voice reminds you that you are watching a constructed narrative, not reality; this is sometimes called a Brechtian "alienation effect" in modern theatre
- Provides context — backstory, moral framework, or historical information the dramatic action cannot convey naturally
- Creates dramatic irony — when the chorus tells the audience something the characters do not know, every subsequent scene is coloured by that knowledge
- Offers a collective voice — the chorus represents a community, a society, or the audience itself; when it mourns, it models and amplifies the audience's own feeling
How does the chorus function in An Inspector Calls?
J.B. Priestley's An Inspector Calls (1945) does not have a formal chorus, but Inspector Goole functions as a choric figure. He stands partly outside the social world of the Birlings, commenting on its values, forcing the other characters (and the audience) to confront uncomfortable truths. His final speech — "We are members of one body. We are responsible for each other" — is not dialogue but a direct statement of moral principle aimed at the audience as much as the Birlings.
This choric quality is why Priestley deliberately makes the Inspector mysterious and somewhat impersonal: he is a voice for collective moral conscience, not simply a character in a naturalistic drama.
How do I write about a chorus in an exam?
When you identify a choric voice or figure in a text you are studying:
- Identify what makes it choric — does it stand outside the action? Comment on rather than drive the plot? Speak directly to the audience?
- Analyse its function — what does it tell the audience that the dramatic action cannot? What dramatic irony does it create?
- Link to the playwright's purpose — why has the writer chosen to use this device? What does it allow them to do that a purely dramatic form would not?
- Consider the audience's response — how does the chorus position or guide the way we respond to what follows?
Frequently asked questions
Does the chorus always speak in verse?
In ancient Greek drama, the chorus always sang or chanted — it was performed with music and dance. In Shakespeare, the choric Prologue is typically in verse (the Romeo and Juliet Prologue is a sonnet). In modern drama, choric figures may speak in prose, verse, or a blend. The choice of register — elevated verse or plain prose — itself carries meaning about how the playwright wants the chorus to be heard.
Can a single actor play the chorus?
Yes — in many modern productions of Greek tragedy, and in all of Shakespeare's plays, the Chorus is a single speaker rather than a group. In ancient Athens, the chorus was always a group because the choral odes were sung and performed collectively. In reading a play, the stage direction "Enter Chorus" may indicate a single actor; the theatrical function remains the same.
What is a "choric" character versus a formal chorus?
A formal chorus is explicitly labelled in the text — it speaks outside the action and comments on it. A choric character is a regular dramatic character who sometimes functions in a chorus-like way — stepping back, commenting, providing moral perspective. Inspector Goole is a choric character. The difference is one of degree and explicitness, not of function.
Do modern playwrights use choruses?
Yes — the chorus has been revived and adapted in many forms. Bertolt Brecht used it in his "epic theatre" style; Tony Kushner's Angels in America uses choric figures; Greek tragedies are still staged with full choruses. In contemporary British drama, playwrights like Suzan-Lori Parks and Dennis Kelly have experimented with choric forms. The device endures because its essential function — providing perspective on the action from outside it — is always theatrically useful.
Professor Quill at aitutors.me can guide you through any dramatic text's structure and choric devices — ask your question and work through it one step at a time.