Publisher's Synopsis
Excerpt from The Seven Against Thebes of AEschylus
Out of the old festivals of the wine-god, Diony'sos, in which songs had been sung by a chorus, dealing with stories of the legendary past, there was developed at Athens, 'in the fifth century b.c., the drama, in which theold'stories were acted'. But since the Attic drama was still in theory' a piece 'oi religious ritual, carried out in honour of Dionyso's, the chorus was retained as a form prescribed by tradition, though its action had somehow to be fitted into thel'action' of the play. It was now given'the role of 'a crowd jor group of subordinate persons attached to one or other of the prin cipal characters of the play, or, belonging to the place'which was the supposed scene of the play - a company of old men or sailors or.maidens or' slaves, or whatever the' case might require. But the chorus could never, take' a'very active part its role was mainly that of lookers-on, making comments on the actions and speeches of -the characters in the play it might express very decided sympathies with one side or another where the play was a story or Strife; and act as adviser or confidant to some person in the pla It continued to chant songs of some length; but the'se' were worked into the substance of the play, expressing the feelings aroused in the old men or maidens, or whoever the chorus. Might represent, by the situation of the moment, or calling to mind other old myths connected with'the subject of the drama. These choric songs were alse'used to mark, the divisions between the successive episodes of the drama, very much as is done by dropping the curtain in a modern play the other actors, whilst they 'were b'eing'sung, re mained behind the scenes, and the chorus had the orchestra all to itself. In the fifth century b.c. There seems to have been a wooden stage in the theatre of Dionysos at Athens. The tiers of marble seats rose on the hillside round a 'semi circular space, in the middle of which was an altar. On the' other side of this space, facing the audience, was the wall' which formed the background for the play. it had the'
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