Medea and the Chorus

As you have learned, Greek drama evolved from the ritualistic performances of a chorus at the Dionysian festivals. After the actor Thespis stepped out of the chorus and began a dialogue with it, other characters soon followed, and the chorus's role gradually diminished in size (from fifty members to fifteen) and importance. Playwrights kept the chorus as a significant element in their dramas, but its functions were necessarily more limited. Robinson Jeffers, who translated Medea, …showed first 75 words of 558 total…

…showed last 75 words of 558 total…many meaningful functions like restating past events in order to clarify the plot, or introducing the entrances and exits of characters in the play. Both of these functions help make the play seem smooth and help the reader to understand the play better. The chorus had evolved and changed from a ritualistic performances to shows and plays with dialogues. The chorus may have a small speaking part, but without them, it wouldn't be the same.