Comparing The Tragic Hero In Things Fall Apart And Oedipus Rex

Okonkwo is a tragic hero because has a tragic flaw, is noble, and experiences reversal of fortune. Okonkwo’s tragic flaws include short temper and not wanting to be like his father. He is noble due to his titles and respect throughout Umoafia. His reversal of fortune happens at a funeral.

A tragic hero is a character that performs courageous actions but develops a tragic flaw as they move on with their lives. The effects of the flaw begin to increase and the character usually makes unwise choices. It often leads to his downfall or even death. In Things Fall Apart, Okonkwo is depicted as a tragic hero. He lived a life full of contradiction. He desired to be successful and achieve everything he wanted but he ended up committing suicide. The author develops a story in which Okonkwo has to make a lot of decisions and sometimes he makes the wrong choices without himself knowing, which eventually causes his own death. He is a tragic hero in the story for the sacrifices

In any comparison of Okonkwo and Oedipus in the stories ”Things Fall Apart” by Chinua Achebe and Oedipus Rex by Sophocles, it is important to note that they share a common trait that is, at least in part, the basis for downfall. When we are first introduced to Okonkwo on the very first page of the book, we are informed that the future titles Okonkwo would hold in his clan would be because “fame rested on solid personal achievements”. Oedipus also was renowned throughout his land because of his success in answering the riddle of the Sphinx, thus saving the city. They are both arrogant and refuse to be told they are wrong about anything. This said, these characters are both admirable at first, especially in the eyes of the other characters in each book. By the end of both ”Things Fall Apart” and “Oedipus Rex,” however, they are outcasts.

The focus of the individual is prominent in Things Fall Apart, a tale of an almost anti-social being in a world dominated by change.  Achebe's main character, Okonkwo, is the window to the dramatization of social, economic, and political change of the nation known as Nigeria.  The focus of the narrative is the struggle of a strong and well respected individual to maintain his own life course, and to differentiate this outcome from the end result of his lethargic father's life.  The story embodies the ideal of embracing the individual's goals and aspirations to yield an outcome

Of the many themes that appear in Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart, individuality versus nationality becomes a central topic as the story progresses and develops. With the invasion and colonization of the European missionaries, Okonkwo’s nationality and contributions to society are called into question. Achebe explains the idea of nationality over individuality by showing that society is the precursor to individuality. Examining the life of the protagonist, Okonkwo, before and after his resistance exemplifies this key idea in Things Fall Apart.

Pride makes both men think that they are indestructible thus initiating their downfall. Oedipus’ pride stems from his ability to “snuff [Sphinx] out by human wit”(Sophocles 23) as for him “her riddle called for insight trained [and] no traveler’s guess”(Sophocles 23).His this accomplishment makes him so self absorbed and conceited that he begins addressing himself as “Oedipus the Great”(Sophocles 5). The pleasure of victory drowns him into the assumption that nothing in this world can destroy him and that he has the capability to win any battle possible. And so when the plague hits Thebes he takes that disaster as another challenge to prove the world that he is incompetent as he addresses to the people of Thebes that, “What you pray for you can have - remission of those miseries and help if you’ll hear my plan” (Sophocles 14). Thus bringing the focus to his strengths that even this deadly plague cannot defeat him.Okonkwo reflects the similar trait in Things Fall Apart.Blinded by the achievement of “throwing Amalinze the Cat”(Achebe 3) in a wrestling game Okonkwo considers himself as the most bravest person on earth. And to maintain his rank and ego he does every cruel act possible to show the people that there is no power or no weakness that can take over him. After assassinating his foster child Ikemefuna when the conscience of Okonkwo is constantly pricking him with a needle, he instead of admitting his sin lets his pride overpower him. And

In the narrative Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe manifests the vision of a tragic hero. He encapsulates this by assimilating diction and mood to typify the comportment of the main character, Okonkwo, after producing his own downfall. The usage of diction and mood assist in portraying all the definitions of a tragic hero.

Okonkwo is a tragic hero who has fatal errors in judgement, shows weakness that leads to a catastrophe. Okonkwo is a tragic hero because he shows strength and power throughout his village. He was a great warrior and “brought honor to his village (pg. 3)” By working hard, and striving to do his best. But Okonkwo struggles with being a hero because “his fame rested on solid personal achievements (pg. 3).”

A tragic hero is a character whose judgement ultimately leads to their own destruction. In the book “Things Fall Apart” by Chinua Achebe, Okonkwo is a character who meets the standards of a tragic hero. In “Things Fall Apart,” Christian missionaries from Europe come to various villages to teach them about God and Christianity. Okonkwo’s village is one of the visited areas, and the missionaries are given land in the Evil Forest to build their churches. Okonkwo fears being like his father and is one of the most respected men in Umuofia. He wants to be seen as prideful, confident, and strong. This ends up being one of his downfalls, as it leads him to violence and intense anger outbursts. Okonkwo is a tragic hero because of his errors in judgement and his courageous meeting with death.

A tragic hero is a character who has a tragic flaw, while also having good and bad characteristics. Okonkwo from Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart is a very well known man in his village. He earned his fame by being a great farmer and a great wrestler. By the end of the novel, Okonkwo proves to us he is a tragic hero.

In conclusion, Okonkwo exemplifies Aristotle's definition of a tragic hero. His character has many tragic flaws, including, fear of weakness, hubris, and his work ethic, which in the end lead to his death. His life and death provoke pity and fear for the audience. Okonkwo becomes noble and is a great leader overall in the story. In the end, Chinua Achebe has shown an expressive character that evidently can be called a tragic

Things Fall Apart, the first book of the African Trilogy, is written by Nigerian author Chinua Achebe. The classic narrative depicts Africa’s interactions with Europe as Europe begins to have an influence on the country (culture, religion, etc.) Throughout the story the reader will peruse about Okonkwo’s, the protagonist, fictional encounters.

In Achebe’s Things Fall Apart, the main character, Okonkwo, serves as a tragic hero. A tragic hero, as defined by Aristotle, is a great character who makes a judgement error that inevitably leads to his or her’s own downfall. By the end of the novel, Okonkwo’s downfall can be seen when he ends up taking his own life. On one hand, some may argue that Okonkwo was merely a victim of fate. On the other hand, others may also argue that Okonkwo was responsible for his own downfall. I believe that Okonkwo, like all tragic heroes, was ultimately responsible for his own death.

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe is a tragedy novel of an individual as well as the Igbo society as the tragedies of the death of Okonkwo, is a honored warrior, and also the Igbo society, the tribes to whom Okonkwo belongs.

The novel, things fall apart was set in the late nineteenth century which was a period of conflict and drastic change in Africa, where indigenous societies clashed with imperialistic European powers. The author, Chinua Achebe adds this tension of the historic British colonial expansion to present another dimension to Okonkwo's tragedy. Achebe challenges ethnocentric views of Africa through his use of language throughout the novel. The author also includes themes of Cultural relativism by introducing the Ibo’s traditions and language.