Things Fall Apart

The Prevalence of Tragedy in Things Fall Apart Things Fall Apart cries a classical tragedy. It’s a classical tragedy because it possesses catharsis, dramatic irony, and, most essentially, a tragic hero. These elements come and work together in this book very nicely and are why Things Fall Apart is an exceptional example of a classical tragedy. Catharsis is the main purpose of a tragedy; it’s the process of releasing and thereby providing relief from strong or repressed emotions. An example from the book would be when Okonkwo made his most grieved-for realization. “Okonkwo stood looking at the dead man. He knew because they had let the other messengers escape. They had let the other messengers escape. They had broken into tumult instead of action.” (p. 205). For the audience this released all anticipation or hope for Okonkwo’s wishes and dreams to come true because we now know he will never have it. It ties in perfectly with what a classical tragedy is.

However, it may be more hidden and not initially recognized as would the catharsis and tragic hero be after reading it. The dramatic irony here lays in the history behind the story. If the reader knows the history of our early European settlers, then they may able to identify the dramatic irony in the book. It shows because we, the audience, know that the indigenous people, Okonkwo’s people, do not prevail in saving their culture. They ultimately fail because historically, the European people, white man, take over Ortega 2 the civilizations and establish themselves throughout much of Africa. And the purpose of dramatic irony is to create intensity, so knowing the tribe’s fate from the very beginning only adds to the