The Theme of Shame In Ajax by Sophocles

Status and honor have been universally essential aspects within society and culture for years. These standings influence how people think, how people behave, and how others treat them as well. As simple as it may seem, life practically runs off of these positions of hierarchy. As a consequence of status, honor culture can be another prevalent aspect within many communities. In a system like this it is inevitable for people to be placed in a ranking system entirely based on their reputation and honors. When there is hierarchy there tend to be people on the top and people on the bottom. In many communities those on the bottom tend to feel a sort of shame not because they are on the bottom, but because they are not on top. Shame is a dominant force in ancient Greek culture. This is eloquently explored in Sophocles’ “Ajax”. By presenting the consequences of rewards and how it can lead to trauma Sophocles is able to display the incredible power of shame through the main character, Ajax. 

Although Ajax’s background is not explicitly stated in this tragedy, one must understand where his shame and anger originated. Ajax’s situation is a perfect example of how loyalty and strength may not always win against intelligence and manipulation. Ajax is a hero and the 2nd best warrior after his cousin Achilles. When Achilles dies and his armor is put up as a reward Ajax, being a strong warrior and related to Achilles, expects himself to be rewarded with it. However, the situation does not exactly work out in his favor. Rather, Odysseus is able to outsmart the public and be rewarded with the Armor of Achilles. This produces a great amount of inner humiliation for Ajax. As someone who prioritizes honor and fame inside of a community that does the same, these feeling of shame are relatively new to the hero. Moreover, this shame is overwhelming and powerful enough to send the warrior into insanity. He believes that justice has failed in this sense. He is aware of this public dishonor and states, “The Gods hate me, that much is clear. The Greek army detests me. All Troy and the Trojan plain are hostile to me” (Ajax 504- 507). As a result, Ajax becomes delirious in trying to prove to the public that he is worthy. It is clear that he is mentally drained from this shame as he becomes delirious in trying to prove his point. 

The play begins with Ajax experiencing a violent fit of pure madness. Although invoked by the goddess Athena, his feeling of underappreciation forces him to believe that he is murdering several Greek leaders including Odysseus. In reality, Ajax is hysteric, blood-smeared, and torturing livestock. As Athena and Odysseus watch the mania occur it is evident that the scene is complex. Odysseus contemplates how Ajax has become this frenzied man and has a sort of pity for him. Meanwhile, Athena is remorseless because she is aware that Ajax believes he is murdering the Greek leaders. Even Ajax himself is hurt and barbarous in hopes of mending his wounded pride. When he finally comes into his senses, he realizes how wrong he was. From this point forward he experiences a second wave of shame that leads him to commit suicide. The thought of the act by itself is very alarming because in Greek culture, suicide is another act of shame. It seems that Ajax cannot escape his shame. 

In the play, there is even a point where Tekmessa, a slave who may have a bit of romantic connection with Ajax, confronts him compassionately. She is aware of his feelings and does not want him to act mindlessly. She tries to persuade him to not take his life and push shame over to her and their child. She reminds him, 

“You are my life. But remember, my lord, what I’ve been for you. If a man has known some pleasure, he ought to be mindful of it. Kindness begets kindness. A man who takes his pleasure and forgets it, cannot be noble” (Ajax 580-586).

This is a tactical move done by her to emphasize how taking his life would result in her and their son being in the position that she was in prior to her relationship with Ajax. She is reminding him that by being selfish, Ajax is only pushing more shame onto his family. 

Essentially the entire play revolves around shame and its never-ending consequences on the mind of an individual. As seen in this tragedy, respect is incredibly significant to a hero’s happiness. This is especially so when living in a community that thrives off of honor and status. When these things are eliminated, and one is no longer recognized for their great work or put down due to another’s intelligence it can feel extremely embarrassing. With a pride as great as Ajax’s these events are traumatizing and difficult to accept. He cannot accept the idea of Odysseus being stronger than him. With honor and status being prevalent in modern life today with sporting events, cancel culture, and even social media comparison it is incredibly important to realize how powerful the idea of shame can be on an individual. It can be very traumatizing and although extreme, lead to violence. Ultimately, Sophocles was able to effectively present this idea within this Greek play.