Sam Shepard's True WestBrotherly love can be such a wonderful thing. As children, two brothers can always have a playmate to play cowboys and Indians with, or an older brother to reach for the cookies on the counter. As they grew up, they would have someone to help them start the engine of their car or to guide them in and out of relationships. However, a sibling can also be the resident bully. Older children may make younger children eat worms or get into embarrassing situations for their own amusement. A brother can be the best friend and/or the worst enemy. This could result in either philos adelphos or fratricide. The brothers have been seen throughout history in love/love, love/hate, and hate/hate relationships. Fortunately, everyone has a set of moral guidelines – the Ten Commandments, the seven deadly sins, the seven holy virtues, etc. – these guidelines shape people, whether they recognize it or not. Sam Shepard is a famous playwright who has captured this conflict within families, which projects the overall conflicts of society, through most of his plays. Shepard's True West captures the struggle between brothers and what could happen when apathy consumes them. Ironically, each of the seven deadly sins – lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, anger, envy and pride – and the seven holy virtues – chastity, temperance, charity, diligence, patience, kindness and humility – are either experienced or ignored in True West. These sins and virtues, when juxtaposed with the two brothers in the play, reveal an idea that Shepard is trying to convey: denial of moral responsibility and isolation of self will lead to destruction and madness. , a kitchen from the mother of the two brothers. Lee, the older of the two, is around forty and is more of a nomadic alcoholic like their father. Austin is in his 30s and has an Ivy League degree and writes screenplays. Austin is more temperate in the first half of the play; Lee is a partially or completely drunk mooch. As the play begins, Austin is writing a script while his brother, Lee, pesters him about different odds and ends to catch up since their last meeting. Lee talks about his life in the desert and the money he could make if he only wanted to. The reader can see Austin, the protagonist of the play, displaying humility, kindness, and diligence as he endures his brother's conversation, and even shows charity when he offers money to Lee..