For modern readers, the Chorus may be the most alien element of the play. The Chorus delivers much of the exposition and expounds poetically on themes, but it is still meant to represent a group of characters. In the case of Antigone, the Chorus is constituted by the Theban elders, old and powerful citizens of the city who watch and comment on the action. It interacts with the actors, and in Antigone the Chorus intercedes at a crucial point near the end of the play. Consistent with the norms of Greek drama, Antigone is not divided into acts or scenes.
Action flows uninterrupted from beginning to end.
In general, as noted by Aristotle, most Greek tragedies have action confined to a twenty-four hour period. In his influential Poetics, Aristotle set guidelines for the form of tragedy, using Oedipus the King as his ideal model. Tragedy is usually concerned with a person of great stature, a king or nobleman, who falls because of hubris, or pride. There are unities of time, place, and, most importantly, action. Key elements include the moments of reversal and recognition, although not every tragedy has these moments.