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

Heaneys play The interment at Thebes is a version of the Greek cataclysm Antigone by the Athenian dramatist Sophocles (c496-406 BCE). According to Heaney it is not a translation but a version as he was looking for meaning not spoken language (Heaney, 2009, CDA5937, The Burial at Thebes - Interviews). This is in keeping with the commissioning of the play to keep on 100 years of the Abbey theatre in 2004 as the founders, W.B Yeats and Lady Gregory, were Irish cultural nationalists (Hardwick, 2008, p193) . The change in title from the usanceal Antigone to The Burial 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 intertwine the tradition Greek ideology with Irish nationalism. The utter in Greek tragedy is defined as a group of people who often insert in and comment on the striking action, emphasising tra ditionalistic moral and favorable attitudes and providing commentary (Moohan, 2008). In Greek theatre they also provided a much practical role, entertaining the audience during the play with songs and dance and allowing the performers to change. Most performers performed devil or more roles known as doubling. In The Burial at Thebes the director, John Theocharis (2009), states that the utter also adds dramatic tension and suspense whilst creating personal and objective voices that underpin the context of the play. In looking at the component part that the chorus makes this essay will look at the various 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 based on the Greek, outlines these values in poetical format in the Choral Odes. The chorus commentary on the characters and drama and its subsequent participation pushes the plot towards tr aditional 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 forthright 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