Editing Greek chorus (section)

== History  ==
A common theory for the origin of the Greek chorus stems from the ancient Greek poet Arion's invention of the tragedy, the stationary chorus, and satyrs' verses. In Aristotle's ''Poetics,'' he writes that "[Tragedy's] beginnings, certainly, were in improvisation [autoschediastikês], as were also those for comedy, tragedy originating in impromptus by the leaders of dithyrambic choruses, and comedy in those of the leaders of the phallic performances which still remain customary in many cities."{{cq}}

The role of the chorus fluctuated. For example, [[Aeschylus]] foregrounded the dialogue by increasing the number of actors and reducing the role of the chorus in his works. They also played a role in the Athenian polis, with members of a chorus forming life-long bonds as they performed this civic duty.<ref name=":0" />

It is thought that choruses had their start in Dionysian [[dithyramb]]s, hymns and dances in honor Dionysus, and then other characters began to be incorporated. Satyr-plays were then added to the beginning of performances to make certain that Dionysus continued to be honored.{{Attribution needed|date=June 2024}}

The Greek playwrights of the 5th century paid homage to the chorus' musical and choreographic origins. They did so by incorporating dance and sung odes into their work. For example, [[Aeschylus]] and [[Euripides]] either composed accompaniments to their own tragedies or had accompaniments commissioned, and [[Sophocles]] accompanied at least one of his plays on the [[Kithara|cithara]], an ancient lyre-like instrument.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Montgomery |first1=H.C. |title="Some Later Uses of the Greek Tragic Chorus." |journal=The Classical Journal  |date=1942 |volume=38 |issue=3 |page=149 |jstor=3292138 |url=http://www.jstor.org/stable/3292138}}</ref>

German poet and philosopher [[Friedrich Schiller]] also tried to use the chorus in his tragedy ''[[The Bride of Messina]]''. After it was performed in March 1803 at Weimar, the performance was celebrated by students but
denounced by critics. They specifically critiqued his use of the chorus. German poet Schiller Carlyle said that "the chorus retarded the plot, dissipating and diffusing the sympathies."<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Montgomery |first1=H.C. |title="Some Later Uses of the Greek Tragic Chorus." |journal=The Classical Journal  |date=1942 |volume=38 |issue=3 |page=150-51|jstor=3292138 |url=http://www.jstor.org/stable/3292138}}</ref>

In 1910, Sir William Ridgeway published The Origin of Tragedy, in which he argued that as Greek tragedy originated from the dithyramb, the tragic genre itself stemmed from Dionysian traditions.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Tierney |first1=Michael |title="Dionysus, the Dithyramb, and the Origin of Tragedy." |journal=Studies: An Irish Quarterly Review |date=1944 |volume=33 |issue=131 |pages=331–341 |jstor=30099509 |url=http://www.jstor.org/stable/30099509}}</ref>