The Chorus of AntigoneThe chorus was not only a major part of Antigone, but also the mostinsightful portion of this play’s cast. The members of the chorus tell Creonand the audience very important truths about themselves.
Throughout the playthe chorus comments on Creon’s actions, and gives us all unbiased views on ourhypocritical species. Without a chorus Creon’s epiphany may never have occurredand we wouldn’t have, as easily, seen our personal flaws. The chorus isincluded in a very effective manner, the chorus talks about death, love, andother unconquerable forces that humans eternally try to defeat, it shows theaudience great futility and lets us see the problems we face throughout life. Creon changes greatly throughout the play, he starts as a best friend,or someone out to help the common man, but later in the play he becomes more andmore ruthless as his power corrupts him. At about the time his degradationreaches it’s climax the chorus interrupts with a song about death, how man cancontrol the most powerful of elements, and tame the wildest beast, yet deathstill comes.
He also learns through them some important things about love,especially that it is unconquerable. Through the chorus Creon begins to see that he is wrong and God issuperior to himself, but it takes a lot to shake his belief that a perfectsociety is run by an unrelenting rule. This play also told me a lot abouthumans in general, that the they aren’t interested in anything but thefulfillment of their own needs, and that they refuse to see that something maybe more powerful than themselves. This revelation is the major theme of theplay and is very important in Creon’s growth as a person. This play couldn’t have existed without a chorus, these singers give toomuch to the structure of the play, without them Creon would never have changedas a person and the play would have been much more ambiguous as to therelationship of Creon’s problems to our own. With the help of the chorus Creonlearns that he is just a frail being in a world much greater than his ownpitiful kingdom.
Because of this he becomes much more god-minded, and sees hisplace in the scheme of things. This play is about loyalty to a much greaterpower, and with the help of the chorus he sees the power he must follow. This entire play runs around the chorus, who gives insight to thecharacters, these actors provide the audience with knowledge about the humancondition, and entertain as well as playing many parts for the characters totalk to. Without their odes, and paeans the play would have been incomplete.
