The Poetics of the Kōmos -Chorus in Menander's Comedy

Abstract

This article investigates the functions of the kōmos-chorus in Menander"s comedies. It first reviews the evidence for the diminished role of the comic chorus in the fourth century and then considers Menander"s practice of deploying a kōmos instead of a chorus. It argues that the performance contexts of the kōmos allowed it to serve multiple functions. The association of the kōmos with symposia and aristocratic violence rendered it a realistic device for clearing the stage after the first act. In addition, the conclusion of the romantic plot with a wedding or pre-wedding celebration created the occasion for receiving a wedding kōmos, suggesting that the kōmos may have finally been greeted or received at the end of the fifth act.