Regarding tragedy, the chorus helps explain it in various ways:
1. Moral Commentary: The chorus offers moral and ethical insights into the characters' actions and the consequences of their choices. They provide a commentary on how individual decisions align with societal norms and religious beliefs, highlighting the potential for tragic outcomes when characters transgress boundaries.
2. Universality of Suffering: The chorus emphasizes the universality of suffering and misfortune. They draw attention to the fact that tragedy can befall anyone, regardless of social status or perceived virtue, highlighting the unpredictability and omnipresence of suffering in human existence.
3. Fate and Destiny: The chorus often reflects on the role of fate, destiny, and divine forces in shaping human lives. They emphasize the limitations of human control over their circumstances and suggest that external forces may contribute to tragic outcomes.
4. Emotional Expression: The chorus serves as a collective voice for expressing intense emotions, such as pity, fear, and sorrow, that arise from witnessing the suffering and downfall of the tragic heroes.
5. Catharsis: Through their expressions of emotions, the chorus helps create a cathartic experience for the audience. This emotional release allows the audience to identify and empathize with the characters' struggles while coming to terms with the inevitability of tragedy in human life.
6. Wisdom and Perspective: The chorus often provides wisdom and insight that goes beyond the immediate concerns of the characters on stage. They may draw parallels to mythological events or past tragedies, offering a broader context for understanding the current events.
7. Critique of Divine Justice: Occasionally, the chorus may express doubts or criticisms about the perceived justice of the gods or the workings of fate. They raise questions about the seeming lack of divine intervention or the reasons behind undeserved suffering.
By combining these elements, the chorus helps explain tragedy in Greek plays by providing a deeper understanding of the characters' motivations, the moral and societal implications of their actions, and the universal aspects of human suffering and fate. The chorus's insights add complexity to the play's narrative, encouraging the audience to reflect on their own experiences and the nature of tragedy in human existence.