The First Queen is the widow of King Capaneus, who died fighting Creon of Thebes.
She leads the trio of pleading Queens and tells their tale to Theseus. She has met him before, but has aged greatly since then. She is worried that Theseus may delay, and urges him on with every argument she can muster. Her only aim is to have Creon beaten and humbled, and to be able to bury her husband’s body. She is dressed in black, with a stained veil and an impressive crown.