In almost every Greek tragedy, the Chorus performs a song when they first come on stage (this is a called a “parados”). This occurs after the prologue or introductory scene. Write an essay on the parados of either Aeschylus’s Seven Against Thebes (lines 78-182) or Sophocles’ Ajax (lines 134-200). Topics you may wish to address include: In what way is the Chorus’s first song a suitable introduction to the subject or themes of the play as a whole? In what way does it orient the audience emotionally or psychologically to the events that follow? In what way does it reflect the social identity of the Chorus (maiden girls or sailors)?
Tips: As always, begin your paper with a clear and specific thesis. (Example thesis: “The Chorus’s hysterical appeal to the gods serves to introduce the idea that humans are powerless before the divine.”) Your thesis should be based on a careful reading of the chosen passage. In your discussion, do not attempt to summarize every detail of the passage, rather concentrate on those details that are most relevant to your thesis. Avoid generalizations, banal observations and statements of the obvious (e.g., “this shows that the members of the Chorus are frightened”). You should probably re-read your chosen passage at least twice, once to form a general idea of your thesis and another time to take detailed notes that you can use in presenting an argument. It is not possible to complete this assignment without careful study of the text. Although you should not devote space to lengthy quotations, you should ground your discussion in specific references to the text.
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