What is the main contribution made by the chorus in The Burial at Thebe

Heaneys athletics The interment at Thebes is a version of the Grecian tragedy Antigone by the Athenian dramatist Sophocles (c496-406 BCE). According to Heaney it is non a translation notwithstanding a version as he was looking for meaning not language (Heaney, 2009, CDA5937, The burying at Thebes - Interviews). This is in keeping with the commissioning of the playfulness to celebrate 100 years of the Abbey theatre in 2004 as the founders, W.B Yeats and peeress Gregory, were Irish cultural nationalists (Hardwick, 2008, p193) . The change in title from the traditional Antigone to The entombment at Thebes moves the emphasis away from the characters to the controversial question of the burial of a prince, who was regarded as a turncoat (Theocharis, 2009, CDA5937, The Burial at Thebes - Interviews) enabling Heaney to knit the tradition Greek ideology with Irish nationalism. The chorus in Greek tragedy is defined as a group of people who practically participate in and comment o n the dramatic action, emphasising traditional deterrent example and social attitudes and providing commentary (Moohan, 2008). In Greek theatre they also provided a more practical role, entertaining the audience during the play with songs and dance and allowing the performers to change. most performers performed two or more roles known as doubling. In The Burial at Thebes the director, John Theocharis (2009), states that the chorus also adds dramatic tension and scruple whilst creating subjective and objective voices that underpin the context of the play. In looking at the contribution that the chorus makes this essay will look at the divers(a) functions of the chorus - their role as a commentator, participating in and commenting on the dramatic action and how they present traditional moral and soci... ...ture of the play, mainly base on the Greek, outlines these values in poetical format in the chorale Odes. The chorus commentary on the characters and drama and its subsequent participation pushes the game towards traditional ideas with the encapsulation in their ending summation. Works CitedHardwick, L. (2008), Seamus Heaneys The Burial at Thebes, in Brown, R (ed.), Cultural Encounters (AA100 Book3), Milton Keynes, The Open University, pp.192-235Heaney, S. (2004), The Burial at Thebes, London, Faber and Faber LtdHeaney, S. (2009), CDA5937 The Burial at Thebes Interviews (AA100 Audio CD), Milton Keynes, The Open UniversityMoohan, E (2008), Glossary, in Moohan E (ed.), Reputations (AA100 Book1), The Open University, pp.231-238Theocharis, J (2009), CDA5937 The Burial at Thebes Interviews (AA100 Audio CD), Milton Keynes, The Open University