Shame can be seen in the Iliad which has effect on the actions of the characters. The obvious effect to avoid the affects of shame on the social and moral values for the pursuit of glory and increase their reputation. In the Greeks view the greatest thing one could do and ensure they would live on and increase glory was to die fighting. In the Iliad even begins with the act of feeling shamed, when Agamemnon say he will return his prized girl to her father for Achilles girl Brises. This causes Achilles shame, who says that Agamemnon “failed to honor the best Greek of all” (pg. 113, line 259). This taking of his prize and shaming pushes him into a fury, and in his anger he refuses to fight for the Greeks. The only thing that cause Achilles to come back and fight for the Greeks after feeling so shamed is later on when his closest friend Patroclus is killed in battle, realizing also that he was unable to protect his friend, “just squatted by my ships, a dead weight on the earth…” (pg.
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Achilles shame was the most powerful influence in his decisions through out the Iliad. It first lead to his decision not to fight for the Greeks in response to the wrongful shame of having his prize taken from him, and then in deciding to fight and kill Hector from the shame of not preventing Patroclus’ death. Achilles though is not the only character who’s actions are influenced by shame, Hector also deals with this fear of shame. Hector knows that fighting the Greeks is a dangerous action where he can be killed in battle. Though his wife begs Hector to stay for the sake of her and his child he refuses responding with, “I worry about all this myself, but my shame before the Trojans… would be too terrible if I hung back from battle like a coward. And my heart won’t let me”
Achilles shame was the most powerful influence in his decisions through out the Iliad. It first lead to his decision not to fight for the Greeks in response to the wrongful shame of having his prize taken from him, and then in deciding to fight and kill Hector from the shame of not preventing Patroclus’ death. Achilles though is not the only character who’s actions are influenced by shame, Hector also deals with this fear of shame. Hector knows that fighting the Greeks is a dangerous action where he can be killed in battle. Though his wife begs Hector to stay for the sake of her and his child he refuses responding with, “I worry about all this myself, but my shame before the Trojans… would be too terrible if I hung back from battle like a coward. And my heart won’t let me”