The Chorus

After reading Antigone, I was intrigued by the chorus. This seemingly wise body appears at pivotal moments throughout the play and continuously relays important information to the audience. However, the chorus represents more than just a narrating group. It also symbolizes the common ideals of Thebes, the general population, and a trusted source throughout the complex rivalries between Antigone and Ismene; Creon and Haimon; etc. Interestingly enough, I came to rely on and trust the chorus despite not knowing much about this body of people. While I can picture Antigone, Creon, Haimon, etc in terms of who they are, what they look like, and what they represent, the chorus is mysterious and unknown. However, its advice given and words spoken allowed me to think of this body as wise and important. As a result, the chorus’s role in Antigone is crucial to both understanding the play and pondering the deeper meanings and themes that are presented.

The chorus’s first and most important role relates to its narrating force. We first are introduced to the chorus recalling the brawl between the brothers and then questioning the fate of King Creon. It questions Creon and foreshadows some type of unfortunate event by saying, “In this auspicious dawn of his rein, what are the new complexities that shifting Fate has woven for him?” (1328). From this start, we see the chorus as aware, unbiased, and intuitive. The chorus’s maintaining an unbiased, yet informative, role throughout the play is crucial because it allows the audience to draw its own conclusions and to not be too turned off by a potentially overly opinionated source. It is these mysterious, confident, and wise attributes that overtime allow us to realize the importance of the chorus.

The chorus’s intuitive and wise nature is seen again when Choragos asks the king, “I have been wondering, King: can it be that the gods have done this?” (1330). This question, which came after Creon’s rage over the burial of Polyneices, once again demonstrates the ability of the chorus to both narrate, question, and foreshadow all within one line. The questions and narration continues throughout the play, appearing at important moments such as Creon and Haimon’s argument. Choragos, after Creon and Haimon argued over Antigone’s punishment, wisely suggested to Creon that, “You will do well to listen to him, King, If what he says is sensible” (1339). The narration by the Chorus is crucial to the play because this outside force is able to fill the audience in on what is happening and suggest what is “right” amidst the arguments, battles, and rivalries.

In addition, the chorus symbolizes the people of Thebes and the common ideals of the time. Through the story of Danae, the chorus demonstrates that gods hold the highest power in terms of fate. This ideal is continuously seen and is reiterated in the last stanza of the play. After Creon faces his punishments, the chorus ends the play with, “there is no happiness where there is no wisdom; no wisdom but in submission to the gods. Big words are always punishment and proud men in old age learn to be wise” (1352). The chorus cleverly ends the play by somewhat scolding Creon because the gods will always punish those who possess too much pride and power. Likewise, despite Creon’s unfortunate encounters, the gods taught him a lesson and made him wiser (although it was ultimately too late). It is this ending that demonstrates the accepted notions of the time: that the gods’ beliefs etc need to be followed and that power corrupts.

Overall, the chorus allows the audience to follow the play, explore deeper meanings, and understand the common ideals of the time. Through this trusted, mysterious, and wise source, the audience can tie together the meanings behind fate, relationships, defiance, family, and hubris that are ever present throughout the play.
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