Okonkwo, the protagonist of Chinua Achebe's "Things Fall Apart," can be considered a tragic hero due to his tragic flaw of excess pride and his eventual downfall.
Okonkwo is a respected leader in his community and is known for his great wealth and strength. However, he is also driven by a deep-seated fear of being perceived as weak, which is a trait he associates with his father. This fear leads him to overcompensate and become excessively prideful, often making rash decisions based on his desire to prove his worth.
One example of Okonkwo's excess pride is when he participates in the killing of Ikemefuna, a boy who was taken in by Okonkwo's family and had become like a son to him. Despite his attachment to Ikemefuna, Okonkwo ultimately goes along with the decision to kill him because he does not want to be seen as weak or indecisive. This decision ultimately haunts Okonkwo and contributes to his downfall.
Okonkwo's tragic flaw ultimately leads to his tragic end. After being exiled from his community for seven years, he returns to find that much has changed and that the traditional Igbo way of life is under threat from colonialism. In his desire to restore the old ways, Okonkwo becomes embroiled in a conflict with the colonizers and ends up killing one of their representatives. This act leads to his own death and the destruction of his community.
In conclusion, Okonkwo is a tragic hero due to his excess pride and the tragic end it brings about. His tragic flaw ultimately causes his downfall, making him a classic example of a tragic hero in literature.
Okonkwo A Tragic Hero, Sample of Essays
However, these colonists are gradually pushing an agenda to the Igbo people where Okonkwo is critical against. Okonkwo has a love for his village like the love they have for him. He faced a lot of hardships from the very outset of his career. Three main theories of the tragic hero are the Aristotelian model, the Shakespearean model, and the modern tragic hero. Consequently, he committed suicide for his failure of saving his culture from destruction.
Okonkwo as a Tragic Hero in Chinua Achebe's Novel Things Fall Apart
They also use this idea to portray particular ideas, and to draw in a specific type of readers. Achebe portrays his own characterization of a tragic hero through Okonkwo, the main character. With immense hard work, Okonkwo made his way up to wealthy and greatly respected man in Umuofia. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Nam risus ante, dapibus a molestie consequat, ultrices ac magna. The Tragic Hero In Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart 739 Words 3 Pages In Things Fall Apart, the main hero Okonkwo is the central character viewing tragic hero. In his day he was lazy and improvident and was quite incapable of thinking about tomorrow" page 4.
Okonkwo Tragic Hero Analysis
From nothing, he rises to the honorable and successful leader of Umuofia. Consequently, Okonkwo was exiled for seven years and he spent those seven year in him mother village Mbanta. He had many of the traits which define a tragic hero, such as being born into nobility, having a tragic flaw, being responsible for his own downfall, etc. The collision between two separate beliefs causes various conflicts occurring in Things Fall Apart that eventually causes Umuofia to fall apart. Whereas, Okonkwo was brave, wealthy, violent and adamantly against music and emotions. Okonkwo's violent and rash nature made him difficult to work with and gave people the wrong image of who he was. He hated everything associated with his father- music, gentleness and laziness.
Okonkwo: A Tragic Hero of Things Fall Apart
He Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart In Chinua Achebe's novel Things Fall Apart, Okonkwo has a fear of weakness and failure. Throughout his life, Okonkwo possesses a steady fear of failure. Eventually, through his hard work and effort, he became a noble leader, which emphasizes his role as a tragic hero. This hints that the tragic hero must be a man, not a woman. Okonkwo, the main character and tragic hero of Things Fall Apart has very glaring flaws. No matter what life threw at him, he always met that challenge with brute force and determination.
Is Okonkwo A Tragic Hero Essay
Among other heroic qualities that Okonkwo possesses, he is brave, benevolent, and productive. Nam risus ante, dapibus a molestie consequat, ultrices ac magna. A fatal flaw is a characteristic that prompts him or her to take an action or make a decision that ultimately leads to his downfall or death. A tragic hero also makes dramas more interesting and makes readers think. When he, Ikemefuna and other leaders of the tribe went to the woods to carry out the task, Okonkwo did not want the other men to think that he was weak so he cut down his own son.
What Is Okonkwo A Tragic Hero
Both characters ultimately meet a tragic ending, but their respective paths are remarkably different. Okonkwo too burnt himself through intense rage until it destroyed him in the face of his suicide. Ashamed of his incapable father, Okonkwo felt that anything that resembled Unoka or anything that his father enjoyed was weak and unnecessary. Okonkwo is the protagonist in the book Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe. Moreover, it is seen that Okonkwo realizes his mistakes and at the end of the novel, he commits suicide. He is a great warrior and everyone looks up to him to keep them safe. .
