# Please copy greek chorus dialogue for me verbatim **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 15, 2005, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-copy-greek-chorus-dialogue-for-me-verbatim/321837 "2005-09-15T19:20:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![andrewdt85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/71e660/32.png) [@andrewdt85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andrewdt85)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2005, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-copy-greek-chorus-dialogue-for-me-verbatim/321837/1 "2005-09-15T19:20:05Z")
I go on Wikipedia’s page about Greek Chorus, they have no examples; google doesn’t help. I want many literary examples of greek choruses, especially the rare? ones with only 3- I read that most had many members, as they had many functions in the plays. And the chorus dialogue from Might Aphrodite, as the script is not available online. ---
**Author:** ![andrewdt85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/71e660/32.png) [@andrewdt85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andrewdt85)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2005, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-copy-greek-chorus-dialogue-for-me-verbatim/321837/2 "2005-09-15T19:21:56Z")
Especially ones that rhymed- did most of them rhyme? Especially especially rhyming, three-member ones 😃 ---
**Author:** ![panamajack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/47e85d/32.png) [@panamajack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panamajack)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2005, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-copy-greek-chorus-dialogue-for-me-verbatim/321837/3 "2005-09-15T19:54:24Z")
It’s not entirely clear – do you want examples of the original Greek plays that used them, or examples of their use in literary works only? In Greek or English? For the originals, most of the works of the playwrights can probably be found easily. [Here’s a list](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Ancient_Greek_dramatists_and_playwrights) to start. ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2005, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-copy-greek-chorus-dialogue-for-me-verbatim/321837/4 "2005-09-15T20:16:42Z")
The very end of Oedipus the King in transliterated Greek: > [@](#): > > Choros > ô patras Thêbês enoikoi, leusset’, Oidipous hode, > hos ta klein’ ainigmat’ êidei kai kratistos ên anêr, > hou tis ou zêlôi politôn ên tuchais epiblepôn, > eis hoson kludôna deinês sumphoras elêluthen. > hôste thnêton onta keinên tên teleutaian idein > hêmeran episkopounta mêden’ olbizein, prin an > terma tou biou perasêi mêden algeinon pathôn. [Translated](http://www.bartleby.com/8/5/3.html): > [@](#): > > CHORUS Ye men of Thebes, behold this Œdipus, > Who knew the famous riddle and was noblest, > Who envied no one’s fortune and success. > And, lo,! in what a sea of direst woe > He now is plunged. > > ``` > From hence the lesson draw, > > ``` > > To reckon no man happy till ye see > The closing day; until he pass the bourn > Which severs life from death, unscathed by woe. ---
**Author:** ![Misnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misnomer/32/14897_2.png) [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2005, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-copy-greek-chorus-dialogue-for-me-verbatim/321837/5 "2005-09-15T21:38:42Z")
Dude, ever hear of a _library_? ---
**Author:** ![andrewdt85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/71e660/32.png) [@andrewdt85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andrewdt85)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2005, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-copy-greek-chorus-dialogue-for-me-verbatim/321837/6 "2005-09-15T22:11:34Z")
> [@](#): > > It’s not entirely clear – do you want examples of the original Greek plays that used them, or examples of their use in literary works only? > > In Greek or English? Just the words of the chorus- with indicators of differing speakers, like Guy 1: Guy 2:, etc., from plays and literature, and Mighty Aphrodite, in English please. > [@](#): > > Dude, ever hear of a library? But I don’t know what plays they appear the most in- I know, I know, a hex upon me for not being classically educated- and even then, you can give me the best snippets of chorus dialogue, and any 3-man chorus stuff if there is any. Don’t make that library thing your catchphrase- it’s almost as bad as ‘google is your friend.’ ---
**Author:** ![Push\_You\_Down](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/push_you_down/32/9095_2.png) [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2005, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-copy-greek-chorus-dialogue-for-me-verbatim/321837/7 "2005-09-15T22:27:28Z")
Man, I wish the dope was around when I needed to do my homework. ---
**Author:** ![andrewdt85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/71e660/32.png) [@andrewdt85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andrewdt85)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2005, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-copy-greek-chorus-dialogue-for-me-verbatim/321837/8 "2005-09-15T22:30:01Z")
This is research for a student film. ---
**Author:** ![Misnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misnomer/32/14897_2.png) [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2005, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-copy-greek-chorus-dialogue-for-me-verbatim/321837/9 "2005-09-15T22:51:57Z")
> [@andrewdt85](#): > > But I don’t know what plays they appear the most in There are, like, _people_ who work in those places, and if you walk in and say “I need to find a greek chorus” they can almost definitely help. It’s kind of what they do. I walked into a (small local) library once and said “I need to find a book published by Alfred A. Knopf before 1960,” and 10 minutes later I walked out with the book I needed. It probably wasn’t the weirdest request that nice lady had ever received, either. > [@](#): > > I know, I know, a hex upon me for not being classically educated It’s not your lack of a classical education I’m tempted to hex you for, it’s your laziness. If you need to find something and you only look online before asking people to find it for you, at least be up-front about the fact that you couldn’t be arsed to get off your ass. > [@](#): > > Don’t make that library thing your catchphrase- it’s almost as bad as ‘google is your friend.’ Don’t tell me what to do, young man. (Sorry, just seemed like the right reply. :D) But lest it keep you up at night, you’re the first person I’ve ever (figuratively) said that to in the year I’ve been here.