Despite not being considered primary emotions, shame and guilt are emotions that are central to the way people view themselves and also how others view them. Shame and guilt have much more impact on the driving force behind certain actions than they are credited with. This phenomenon can be observed through everyday situations but also through classic literature.
In The Iliad, the driving force behind the actions of Achilles was shame. The emotion of shame is contrasted with pride. When Agamemnon claimed his war prize Briseis, Achilles' pride was hurt and he refused to fight in the war against the Trojans, deciding instead to remain sulking while chaos unfolded around him. There is another aspect to Achilles' pride where part of knew he was needed in the war and having this reaffirmed by the struggle against the Trojans provided an ego boost which he very much needed after being humiliated. Achilles lived in a culture that was very much shame oriented. There was a huge emphasis placed on war, and victory was an incredible source of pride. On the other hand, a failure in war would be seen as something to be ashamed about and those responsible would be shunned. .
On the contrary, Oedipus was motivated by the emotion of guilt. After realizing that the prophecy he had spent his life trying to avoid had in fact taken place, and Oedipus had in fact murdered his father and married his mother, he felt guilt so unbearable that he gouged out his own eyes in anguish. The action undertaken by Oedipus has it's own particular symbolism. One interpretation could be a linguistic observation; "I couldn't bear to look at myself" which I believe symbolizes a profound level of self-loathing. Another interpretation for the actions of Oedipus is the shame he felt. While guilt is in an emotion that if felt internally, shame requires an audience. Being humiliated in the "eyes" of others. By scratching out his eyes, perhaps Oedipus hoped to also blind the judgment of others.
