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1. What is the purpose of the Chorus in Part 1?

The Chorus serves as a type of narrator. It introduces the characters and their eventual fates throughout Part 1.

2. Why does the author expose the character's fates in the beginning?

The author is intimating that the characters' ultimate fates are not really important to the progression of the story, thereby allowing the reader to concentrate on the interactions between the characters rather than trying to figure out what might happen to character in the end.

3. Explain the convoluted path to the throne from Oedipus to Creon. Detail the characters and the way they became king.

When Oedipus dies, his sons, Eteocles and Polynices, agree to rule Thebes during alternate years. Eteocles takes the throne for the first year. When the year has ended and Polynices returns to reign, Eteocles refuses to give up the throne. Polynices recruits six princes and storms Thebes to claim the throne. In the ensuing battle, Eteocles and Polynices kill each other, leaving a void in Thebes' rule. That void is filled by Creon, once Oedipus's chief advisor.

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