Fate Honor And Shame In The Iliad

The ideas of fate, honor, and shame, are common themes in many works of art that shape many aspects of culture and the people in those societies. Both ancient Greek and Japanese cultures were based around ideas of fate, honor, and shame. While not necessarily placing the same emphasis on each of the ideas, their importance is shown in works from each culture. The Greek epic, The Iliad, places an large importance on fate, while placing less emphasis honor and shame, while Chusingura, a Japanese film, displays the opposite, placing a large amount of emphasis on honor and shame, yet little on fate.

Fate plays an important role in the development of plot in The Iliad. Many of the character’s actions and thoughts are based around fate. For these

He is presented with two different options regarding his fate. If he chooses to stay and fight in Troy, he will never be able to return home, as he will die in battle. However, he will be remembered forever. In contrast, his second option is to return home, where he will live a long life, but his glory will be gone, and he will eventually be forgotten (9.411-416). Achilles struggles with this choice, unsure of what to choose, for a good portion of the story. However, when Patroklos, who Achilles “loved beyond all other companions” (18.81), dies, Achilles is filled with a desire to take revenge. He decides to kill Hektor to avenge Patroklos’ death, however “it is decreed [Achilles’] death must come soon after Hektor’s” (18.96). Achilles’ decides to kill Hektor, even knowing this, and in turn sets both his fate and Hektor’s. In the case of Hektor’s fate, once Achilles makes his decision, it is pretty much decided for Hektor as well. However, Zeus does have a moment in Book 22 where he debates rescuing Hektor, similar to his dilemma with Sarpedon, but in the end, Hektor is bound to his fate to be slain by the hands of

Following this definition, when Patroklos is killed in battle, Achilles feels shame because his beloved companion was disgraced in death. Achilles also feels guilty because by refusing to fight, Patroklos and other Greeks were sent into battle. Their deaths are perceived as a disgrace caused by his actions, and therefore Achilles feels shame. Along with the shame that he feels with the death of Patroklos, Achilles is also angered by Hektor, who ultimately took Patroklos’ life. In retribution, Achilles deliberately tries to shame Hektor after death. Achilles “thought of shameful treatment for glorious Hektor” (22.395), and decided to defile Hektor’s body by repeatedly dragging it in the ground, to leave his body exposed to the elements, and by refusing to return Hektor’s body to his family. As discussed earlier, a part of Greek culture was to honor the dead. By Achilles refusing to honor dead Hektor, he disgraced Hektor and in turn shamed him and caused Hektor’s family to feel shame as