Heaney's play The Burial at Thebes is a version of the Greek tragedy Antigone by the Athenian playwright Sophocles (c. 496-406 BC). According to Heaney it is not a translation but a version since he "was looking for the meaning, not the language" (Heaney, 2009, CDA5937, The Burial at Thebes - Interviews). This is in line with the commissioning of the show to celebrate 100 years of the Abbey Theater in 2004, as the founders, WB Yeats and Lady Gregory, were Irish 'cultural nationalists' (Hardwick, 2008, p193). The change of title from the traditional Antigone to The Burial at Thebes shifts the emphasis from the characters to the "controversial issue of the burial of a prince, who was considered a turncoat" (Theocharis, 2009, CDA5937, The Burial at Thebes - Interviews) which allow Heaney to intertwine the Greek ideological tradition with Irish nationalism. The chorus in Greek tragedy is defined as a group of people who often participate in and comment on the dramatic action, emphasizing traditional moral and social attitudes and providing commentary (Moohan, 2008). In Greek theater they also played a more practical role, entertaining the audience during the performance with songs and dances and allowing the artists to change. Most performers performed two or more roles known as doubling. In The Burial at Thebes the director, John Theocharis (2009), states that the chorus also adds dramatic tension and suspense, while simultaneously creating subjective and objective voices that support the context of the play. look at the various functions of the chorus: their role as commentators, participation in and commentary on the dramatic action, and the way they present traditional morals and society...... middle of paper ......ture of the work, based primarily on Greek, outlines these values ​​in poetic format in the Chorale Odes. The choir's commentary on the characters and the drama and its subsequent participation push the plot towards traditional ideas with encapsulation in their final synthesis. Works Cited Hardwick, L. (2008), 'Seamus Heaney's The Burial at Thebes', in Brown, R (ed.), Cultural Encounters (AA100 Book3), Milton Keynes, The Open University, pp.192-235Heaney, S. (2004), The Burial at Thebes, London, Faber and Faber LtdHeaney, S. (2009), CDA5937 The Burial at Thebes – Interviews (AA100 Audio CD), Milton Keynes, The Open University Moohan, E (2008), 'Glossary ', in Moohan E (ed.), Reputations (AA100 Book1), The Open University, pp.231-238Theocharis, J (2009), CDA5937 The Burial at Thebes - Interviews (AA100 audio CD), Milton Keynes, The Open University