Author Description
The Hidden Chorus investigates the relationship between the chorus of Greek tragedy and other types of choral song in Greek society. Choruses performed on a range of occasions in Greek culture, ranging from private weddings and funerals to large-scale religious festivals, yet the relationship between these everyday or 'ritual' choruses and the choruses of tragedy has never been systematically examined. L. A. Swift discusses choruses from five ritual genres: paian (religious songs of celebration or healing), epinikion (songs for athletic victors), partheneia (songs for the transitions of young girls), hymenaios (wedding song), and thrênos (funerary song), and explores how these choral forms are evoked in tragedy. By examining the relationship between tragic and non-tragic choral song, she not only provides new insights into individual plays, but also enriches our understanding of the role poetry and song played in Greek life.
Menrva's Summary
THE THESIS
This work investigates the structural and thematic connections between the choral performances in Greek tragedy and the broader spectrum of ritual choral song in ancient Greek society. L. A. Swift, a scholar of classical literature, utilizes a comparative framework to analyze how tragic playwrights integrated conventions from non-tragic genres. By mapping these intersections, the author argues that the chorus served as a vital link between theatrical performance and the lived religious and social experiences of the Greek populace.
THE SCOPE MAP
What You Will Find
- Analysis of five distinct ritual genres: paian, epinikion, partheneia, hymenaios, and thrênos.
- Examination of the functional role of choral song in weddings, funerals, and religious festivals.
- Comparative study of tragic texts against established non-tragic choral traditions.
- Insights into the cultural significance of poetry and performance in ancient Greek life.
THE AUTHORITY PERSPECTIVE
Scholars recognize this monograph as a rigorous contribution to the study of Greek drama and performance history. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose, which provides a specialized analysis suitable for advanced students and researchers of classical antiquity.
Page Count:
472
Publication Date:
2010-02-28
Publisher:
Oxford University Press
ISBN-10:
0199577846
ISBN-13:
9780199577842
History
Poetry
Greek drama
Ancient Greece
Literary Criticism
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