Part 1 Summary

The play is set in a public square in the ancient Greek city of Thebes. Statues of several Greek gods are in the center of the square. Eteocles, King of Thebes, addresses the male citizens of the city. He compares his position to being the captain of a ship, and accepts the responsibility for speaking the truth about the city's situation. That truth, as he sees it, is that if things go well for the city, it is the will of the Gods. However, if things go badly, it is his personal responsibility, and accepts that the people of Thebes will scream out his name in agony as a result. He prays to Zeus that this will not happen.

He then calls upon the man to fight to protect the land and city of Thebes, comparing Thebes and its land to "their mother...