The Price of Duty in The Odyssey and Antigone
What is the driving force within humans that compels us to take on and fulfill a duty? Duty derives from a person’s innate sense of obligation to members of one’s community. This sense of obligation is then taught and reinforced by society’s standards. Social pressures and consequences reinforce the innate obligations one feels towards members of their community. In the context of The Odyssey and Antigone, duty is defined as a person’s sense of responsibility to honor and care for friends and loved ones even at great personal risk to themself.