In ancient Greek drama, which term describes a scene where two opposing forces debate issues?

• A. Chorus
• B. Dithyramb
• C. Agon
• D. Parados

Answer: (C)

The formal debate between opposing forces in ancient Greek drama is called the agon. This moment is built to lay out competing arguments, letting characters and ideas clash to reveal different values and directions the plot could take. It’s a purposeful, structured exchange that drives the moral and thematic tension of the play, rather than simply advancing action.

Chorus, by contrast, is the collective group that comments on the action or adds its own perspective through song and dance, not a debate between sides. A dithyramb is an early, extravagant choral hymn praising Dionysus, and a parados is the chorus’s entrance into the play, establishing mood and context. So the scene described—where opposing forces argue their cases—belongs to the agon.