The first tragedy presents the punishment of the Titan Prometheus, who defies Jupiter by bestowing fire and civilization upon mortals. Bound to a desolate Scythian rock by Vulcan under the harsh orders of Strength and Force, Prometheus endures relentless torment rather than yield his secret concerning a future marriage that will overthrow Jupiter. Despite visits from the sympathetic Ocean and the frantic maiden Io—whose own wanderings and lineage he foretells—Prometheus remains defiant, welcoming the eventual tempest and the eagle that tears at his liver, confident in the ultimate supremacy of Necessity over the ruler of the gods. The second tragedy shifts to the military defense of Thebes against an invading Argive army led by seven champions.
King Eteocles takes charge of the city's defense, methodically assigning Theban warriors to counter each hostile leader at the seven gates. The chorus of Theban maidens fills the acropolis with terror and supplication, dreading the impending destruction and captivity. As the battle unfolds, six champions are successfully repelled by the defenders, but the final confrontation at the seventh gate brings Eteocles face to face with his exiled brother, Polynices.
The brothers kill each other in mutual combat, fulfilling the curse of their father Oedipus. Following their deaths, a herald announces the decree that Eteocles shall receive honorable burial while Polynices is left unburied as a traitor. Antigone openly rebels against this decree, declaring her unwavering intention to bury her brother regardless of the deadly consequences.
