According to Aristotle, the definition for tragic hero is a character who is noble or a man of high status, has a tragic flaw, and discovers his fate by his own actions. Okonkwo in Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe could be easily classified as a tragic hero because his character satisfies all the requirements set forth by Aristotle. Because Okonkwo was a powerful and respected man in Umuofia, possessed the flaw of the fear of failure and weakness, and his unwillingness to change after returning from exile resulted in his demise, his character is undoubtedly that of a tragic hero. In order to be classified as a tragic hero, Aristotle requires that the character must be noble or a man of high status. Okonkwo in Things Fall Apart was “well …show more content…
Okonkwo’s entire life was dominated by the “fear of failure and of weakness” (Achebe 2.12). This fear stemmed directly from “his father’s contemptible life and shameful death” (Achebe 3.9). Achebe describes Okonkwo’s father, Unoka, as a “failure” and “loafer” (1.6). Unoka died without taking any title and was “heavily in debt” (Achebe 1.16). It is no mystery why Okonkwo dreaded being similar to his father and why he let his fear fuel his success. However, this fear also drove him “to hate everything that his father Unoka had loved” and “[rule] his household with a heavy hand” (Achebe 2.12). It was not uncommon for Okonkwo to lose his temper and use his fists as an outlet for his anger. His wives and children lived in “perpetual fear of his fiery temper” (Achebe 2.12). For example, Okonkwo gave one of his wives a “sound beating” which left her and her daughter weeping” during the week of peace and nearly shot another wife after she comments on his aim (Achebe 5.11). No act of violence is supposed to occur during the week of peace, making Okonkwo’s utter contempt a factor in his downfall. Okonkwo also kills Ikemefuna, the Mbaino boy whom Okonkwo was extremely fond of brought into his household after the murder of the Umuofia girl, in fear of “being thought weak” even after he was advised by Ogbuefi Ezeudu to have nothing to do with his death (Achebe 7.31). …show more content…
Okonkwo’s self-awareness begins after he returned from his expulsion of seven years with a plan in mind. But, it is not long before Okonkwo realizes that Umuofia is extremely different than it was when he was sentenced to exile and he is not as important. He understands that “a man’s place is not always there, waiting for him” and that “he [has] lost his place among the nine masked spirits” (Achebe 20.1-2). However, Okonkwo does not realize the extent in which the white man has rooted himself in his village. Achebe notes that “the church had come and led many astray” and the white men also brought a government (20.15-16). Okonkwo does not like that the Igbo people have accepted Christian customs and religion and his violent character leads him to coax his tribe to use violence to drive the white men out of Umuofia. Many clan members supported the church and would not support the proposal: “There were many men and women I Umuofia who did not feel as strongly as Okonkwo about the new dispensation” (Achebe 21.1). However, Okonkwo does not realize that “Umuofia will not go to war” until none of the tribe members go after the escaping white man following Okonkwo’s beheading of a court messenger (Achebe 24.43). It is at this point that he realizes all his attempts to drive out the white men will be futile because his people will not fight