One of the most important parts of a Greek drama was the chorus. It was made up of fifteen to twenty men who represented citizens. They had nine functions: set the tone, give background information, recall past events, summarize events, ask questions, give opinions, give advice, stay objective, and act like a jury of elders. The chorus in Oedipus the King helps us understand the action of the play.
             Setting the tone is an extremely important function of the chorus. In Oedipus the King, the chorus set the tone very well throughout it. When Oedipus realizes who he and his parents are, they set a sorrowful tone. They show their pity for Oedipus when they say, "I grieve for you. Wail after wail fills me and pours out" at the beginning of the play, when the chorus talks about the plague, they set a painful tone. They say, "Pain, pain, my sorrows have no sound. No name, no word, no pain like this. Plague sears my people everywhere." The tone of the chorus in Oedipus is usually sorrowful because the play is filled with pain and suffering. Giving background information and recalling past events are very important in the play because it is all set in the present. They give background information about the plague after Oedipus addresses the people. "The death stain spreads. So many corpses lie in the streets everywhere." After Oedipus realized who he is, they briefly summarize his life before what happens in the play. They speak of his maimed foot and the honor he was given after solving killing the Sphinx.
             Because Greek dramas never showed violence on stage, summarizing these events was important. The chorus interprets and summarizes when Oedipus blinds himself. In this short speech they also ask questions, another one of the functions of the Chorus. "How could you slash out your eyes?" In Oedipus the King, the chorus gives many opinions, another function, many of them concerning Oedipus's li...