My understanding of the role of the Greek chorus in ancient plays was to be the narrators, but also to foreshadow how horribly things were going to go for the hero. We see Perseus going off to slay the gorgon Medusa, and in the background, the chorus would sing something encouraging like…
Try to kill Me-du-sa.
Good luck with that, you lo-ser!
Fail-ure!
Des-pair!
You’re Going. To. Die!
I suspect all of us have a little Greek chorus in our heads. You know, the voices that tell us that we are going to fail, that we are not worthy of being loved, and that we have a face that maybe even our mothers didn’t love.
One of the ways I handle my Greek chorus is with my well-known warped sense of humor. I address them in all seriousness, “Ladies and gentlemen of the Greek chorus, thank you… thank you. I appreciate your effort. Now, I need to move ahead.” It makes me laugh and teaches me not to take the chorus quite so seriously.
