Characters in a play that the author uses as a vehicle for commentary is

Step 1: Analyze the question The question asks for the characters in a play whom the author uses as a "vehicle for commentary." In other words, who stands outside the main action and comments on events, themes, and characters on the author's behalf?

Step 2: Explain the concept In drama, the chorus is a group of characters (or sometimes one character) who comment on the action of the play without being fully part of the plot. The idea started in Ancient Greek tragedy, where the chorus:

• Comments on the events and their moral significance
• Gives background information
• Voices the opinions of the community or the playwright
• Guides the audience's reactions

Examples:

• The Chorus in Sophocles' Antigone and Oedipus Rex
• The Chorus in Shakespeare's Henry V and Romeo and Juliet (the Prologue)
• Elders and townspeople who comment on events in many African plays

Step 3: Check the options

• A. Chorus: Correct. Its main dramatic function is commentary.
• B. Dancers: They add spectacle and rhythm, but their role is not commentary.
• C. Drummers: They provide music and sound effects, not commentary.
• D. Singers: Singers may sometimes carry commentary in song, but "singers" is a general performance role. The dramatic term for characters who comment on the action is the chorus.

Step 4: Answer The correct option is A. chorus.

Exam tip: Associate "commentary" or "narrating and reflecting on the action" with the chorus. Dancers, drummers, and singers belong to the performance elements (music, dance, spectacle), while the chorus is a character device for commentary.