Okonkwo As A Tragic Hero

From the bad perspective of Okonkwo, he is known as the value of the igbo people, but he had accidentally shoot Ezeudu son during his father funeral, and soon died after he was shot. And later, his tribe decided to exiled him from Umuofia for 7 years because of the incident the incident and his wrong doings. Which have him, his wives and children to move away from the exiled. But luckily, Okonkwo mother family was able to help take care of him and his families through his

Okonkwo was well known through out the nine villages because of his achievements in the tribe. Okonkwo had a great fear of becoming like his father. This had a rather large impact on his life and how his personality. Okonkwo’s father, Unoka, was a lazy man whereas Okonkwo was a hard worker, Okonkwo ruled his house with a heavy hand and he was a man of war.

The destruction of Okonkwo was revealed slowly throughout the books. He started to make some poor decisions, which became the beginning of his downfall. He killed Ikemefuna just because he didn’t want to be thought weak. He made unwise decisions to only appear to be strong and manly to others in the village. He did not realize how he lost so much from living that way. When, Okonkwo kills Ogbuefi Ezedu’s son, the real tragedy begins. Other tragic heroes usually have a steadier downfall, but Okonkwo had a direct fall in society due to this event. This puts his family into exile for seven years. After a short period of time, white missionaries arrive to Umuofia. When “The

In the book “Things Fall Apart” by Chinua Achebe, we see the effect the white missionaries had on an African tribe and the antihero Okonkwo. The main character Okonkwo is a tragic hero. Achebe depicts Okonkwo as a Shakespearean hero with a tragic flaw, that tragic flaw is the fact that he will do anything in his power not to be a weak man like his father Unoka. Okonkwo did what he did because he hated his father and would do anything in his power to be the exact opposite of his father.

After a village elder had found what crime Okonkwo committed, he told Okonkwo that, “you are not a stranger in Umuofia. You know as well as I that our forefathers ordained that before we plant any crops in the earth, we should observe a week of peace in which a man does not say a harsh word to his neighbor” (30). The elder proceeded to give Okonkwo instructions on how to attempt amends with the goddess. After a single action was taken, his proceeding efforts were nearly non-existent. Any attempt to fix the situation were minimal, as were efforts to learn from his mistakes. Furthermore, Okonkwo advances to partaking in the death of Ikemefuna. The relationship between the two is complicated, but is closest description is that of a boy and his step-father. Killing Ikemefuna is not an evil against the earth, as beating a wife during the week of peace was, but a crime against himself. He is unhappy with himself, and still does nothing to fix his ways, continuing on to single handedly killing a boy at a funeral. Although accidental, Okonkwo was still the man behind the gun. “It was a crime against the earth goddess to kill a clansman, and a man who committed it must flee from the land….he could return to the clan after seven years” (124). Okonkwo had no choice but to leave for the seven years, perhaps upon his return

“Things Fall Apart” by Chinua Achebe has a lot of unique characters, but the one that is the most unique and really makes the novel interesting is Okonkwo. Due to his frustrating childhood and exhilarating life, he really adds a lot to the story. Okonkwo may seem flawless, and in some ways he is, but in reality he has a lot of insecurity and worry on his plate.

Chinua Achebe unfolds a variety of interesting connections between characters in the Novel Things Fall Apart. Relationships with parents, children and inner self are faced differently, however the attitude that Okonkwo gave them determined what kind of outcome he generated from these relations. Okonkwo looks at everything through his violent and manly perspective and is afraid to show his real feelings because he thinks that he may be thought out as weak and feminine this paranoid attitude lead him to self-destruction.

When committing a crime there are consequences that tends to follows. To support this claim, in chapter thirteen it states, “ It was the justice of earth goddess... they were merely cleansing the land which Okonkwo had polluted with the blood of a classman.” After committing this crime Okonkwo experienced being exiled from his village. This experience was alienating.

“...a manly and a proud heart. A proud heart. A proud heart can survive general failure because such failure does not prick its pride. It is more difficult and more bitter when a man fails alone”(21). In Things Fall Apart, a novel by Chinua Achebe, Okonkwo can be considered a tragic hero because he follows Aristotle's criteria of being a tragic hero, he was a respected and successful leader until his fatal flaw.

“ Without further argument Okonkwo gave her a sound beating and left her and her only daughter weeping”(Achebe 38). This shows that Okonkwo really does not really care what he does and does not acknowledge the consequences of his actions when he performs them. Another example of Okonkwo not thinking about his actions is when he kills Ikemefuna “ ‘ My father, they [are killing] me!’ as he ran towards him. Dazed with fear, Okonkwo drew his machete and cut him down.

Even if it was an accident killing someone of your own tribe is a terrible crime, so Okonkwo and his family are kicked out of the village for seven years to pay for his crime. They burn down his house and crops and Okonkwo does not take it well.

He left his people in a way that was disrespectful in the eyes of his clan. To hang oneself in this culture is taboo, so Okonkwo committed a great sin. One reason Okonkwo has such a hard time with finding justice is because of his violence and immediate anger. On page 195 it says, “He carried a strong stick, and he hit each man a

His clan turns against him and refuse to stand up for themselves against the white men. Once Okonkwo realizes he’s alone he is found hung on a tree, having taken his own life. His fatal flaw is his fear of weakness and failure. This fear causes him to act out harshly to his people and his family, “Perhaps down in his heart

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

As Okonkwo constantly resents the ways of his father, being weak, Okonkwo turns down the path of being very assertive, aggressive, and controlling. As seen in the book Okonkwo relationships with family and acquaintances is very violent due to his great resent of his father and wanting to be “strong”. He violates the Week of Peace when he beats his youngest wife, Ojiugo. Later, he beats and shoots a gun at his second wife, Ekwefi. Finally, he even kills a boy named