Okonkwo: The Tragic Hero

Okonkwo, The Tragic Hero

Aristotle, a Greek philosopher, defines a tragic hero as, "a person who must evoke a sense of pity and fear in the audience. He is considered a man of misfortune that comes to him through error of judgement". A tragic hero has a concentrated source of power which most often leads to defeat. In the novel Things Fall Apart, Okonkwo, a member of the Igbo clan in Umuofia, is thought of highly throughout the nine villages. One of the greatest forces that drives Okonkwo to be a strong leader is his father who was seen as lazy and never gained respect from the clan. This idea causes Okonkwo to fear being seen as a failure, which influences every decisions he makes, and eventually leads to his choice of committing suicide. In the novel Things Fall Apart, Okonkwo's great power along with his catastrophic flaw cause his sudden downfall, which reflects the characteristics of an Aristotelian tragic hero.

Okonkwo's strong and powerful

Throughout Umuofia, Okonkwo is viewed as a dominant figure who possesses strong leadership qualities. Yet, beneath his noble façade lies his major tragic flaws- the fear of failure and weakness. These two aspects of Okonkwo's personality collide, and eventually lead to his downfall. An Aristotelian tragic hero is classified by its initial power and nobility. Their tragic flaw becomes more obvious, until it leads to the character's defeat. In Things Fall Apart, Okonkwo's actions prove how someone's flaw can drastically change, and even end, a person's life. He also demonstrates that attempting to hide a person's flaws can hurt them much more than simply taking the time to accept them. In the novel Things Fall Apart, Okonkwo is able to portray the harmful effects of a tragic flaw through the characteristics of an Aristotelian tragic