exodos

Exodos is a term from ancient Greek drama referring to the final section of a tragedy, typically marking the exit of the chorus and the resolution of the plot. The word derives from Greek exodos, meaning "a going out" (from ex- "out" and hodos "way"). In the conventional five-part structure of classical tragedy, as described by Aristotle, the exodos follows the last stasimon and usually includes the chorus’s departure and a concluding scene or epilogue in which the fate of characters is summarized, moral commentary is offered, and the audience is dismissed.

The exodos often features a messenger’s report or a final ode by the chorus and serves to provide closure after catastrophe or reversal. It helps frame the outcome, reflect on the consequences, and underscore civic or ethical themes present in the drama. While many Greek tragedies end with an exodos, some works depart from this model, ending with a final chorus gesture or a brief concluding moment instead.

In modern scholarship, exodos is used as a technical term to analyze the architecture of Greek tragedy, distinguishing the concluding exit from earlier acts and last choruses. The term is primarily encountered within classical studies, though it appears in discussions of drama more broadly as a reference to the traditional concluding portion of a play.