Chorus Flashcards
Chorus in Oedipus
Parados: Ask zeus what he has sent. they call to the gods for the sake of past favours. they despair over the dead everywhere (famine lack of children stillborns). ask dionysus (parton of thebes) to drive away the dead (unburied bodies spreading disease)
S1 Chorus ask who tiresius is talking about. say they will hunt the murderer. they ask why creon and oedipus are fighting. refuse to accept oedipus as murderer without proof.
s2 in awe of destiny and zeus. they warn against pride, which makes a tyrant. warn against tyrants and ask theu be torn down if not behaving fairly. Say they will never again go to delpi if this prophecy is not true.
S3: Chorus rejoice at oedipus birth. think he may be a son of gods or a nymph. they are certain it is good news.
s4: chorus lament all lives come to nothing. Oedipus was blessed with glory but now has falled. say he was a great king but now a horrific man. do not want to look at him. lament his fall
S5: say oedipus was once brilliant but now overwhelmed with awful deeds. shudder at the sight.
Chorus in Medea
parados: women ask about medea pitying her. ask gods for justice. Medea calls to gods to help. she wants revenge. she has eyes like a bull
S1: chorus pity and ask where she will go. M says she was acting to creon and will kill him and daughter. Chorus rejoice that women will finally take justice on man. Say how medea is in a foreign land and lost marriage bed and now exile.
S2: dangers of love. can be great if not in excess. hope to never get bad love. hope never to also be seperated from city like medea. Condemn jason hope he perishes.
S3: Chorus celebrate athens. question whether such a good city could really harbour someone like medea. beg her not to kill her children. question if she is capable. lament the betrayal of her maternal duties.
S4: Chorus say kids and Glauke are going to die. pitiful tone and sympahtise with medea. also hint of sympathy for jason “miserable man”
S5: change in femenist tone: saying women are not always guided by wisdom. women who havent had children are less happy but kids cause great troubes. This chorus song creates pause of suspense.
S6; Chorus beg sun god to stop medea. call medea cruel and her birth pangs in vein. they know the gods will punish her for this. children start screaming and they consider helping but do not.
Chorus in Hippolytus
Parados: women gossiping by the lake cleaning clothes (context for women at this time) contrast to hip male servants. ask why she is sad. gods? death? cheated on?
S1: chorus interact with nurse. they note how weak phaedra is and wonder if shes gone mad. surprised theseus has done nothing.
S2: Chorus shocked at phaedra’s love. wish to die rather than feel the same as her. pity her and say she is destroyed for telling nurse the truth (condemning her a little).
S3: chorus beg Eros to never harm them. tell story of women given to Hercules by aphrodite and they call cypris terrible. do not describe anything positive about love.
S4: chorus wish to be a bird and fly away. wish the ship never brought back phaedra. say she will hang herself. the nurse then cries that she is hanging.
S5: Chorus lament phaedra’s death. Theseus sings to her showing his love. the chorus pity him and contemplate the horror to come. Thesus thinks letter is final words of love from phaeda (awks)
S6: Chorus split men and women. (showing gender conflicts). Male say how the gods love them. Women pray for good fortune. mourn Hippolytus never riding a chariot again. they declare rage against the gods, showing that they do not feel what has happened is fair or just.
S7: Chorus describe power of Aphrodite and Eros. Artemis then appears and speaks to theseus
Chorus in Antigone
Parados: Victory to thebes! and death to the traitor! here comes creon…
Stasimon 1: ode to man: splendid achievements, but still mortal
Stasimon 2: Human life is fragile. those who have nothing happen to them are blessed. others the gods ruin through family generations. Wonder if haemon has come to defend antigone
S3: terrors of love! makes people mad even gods! chorus consider rebellion seeing antigone
s4: Chorus compare antigone to danae. power of fate which none can overcome.
s5: Chorus hymn to Dionysus. call on him to save from plague.
Exodos: the proud are punished.
