context of tragedy

• In Greek Tragedy, the Greek chorus provided commentary on the plays events and revealed the broader social and ethical context.
• They were present throughout the performance, providing a collective viewpoint.
• They bridge the gap between the audience and the characters on stage, ensuring the audience could follow and comprehend unfolding events and themes of the play.
• They also provided exposition, often relating relevant past events or background information that shaped the current narrative.
• As a collective entity, the chorus could represent any multitude of groups relevant to the dramas narrative or setting, e.g. the elders, women, a band of soldiers.
• In AMS, the neighbours are the Greek Chorus.
• In AMS, the neighbours arguably symbolise the wider society/ middle class society.
• Modern interpretations of Greek Chorus:

  Having a chorus separated by status, saying slightly different things that resonate with one another.

  Highly stereotypical. (Jim = idealist, sad old man, Frank = thick husband, Lydia = ditsy housewife, Sue = overt wife, nag (patriarchal view))

  They enable us to access different places and times.
• 'the neighbours give something more than a social density to AMS, they are more than a chorus, refracting the views of the community. They contain in themselves the conflicts at the heart of the play, acknowledging a tension between the pragmatic and the ideal.' Bigsby, pg15 of the AMS book.
• When the conflicts spill out into the whole community, the play becomes a 'tragedy of the common man.'
• Keller = tragic protagonist
• George + Ann = nemesis's
• All My Sons can be read as the tragic conflict between family loyalties and social responsibilities