According to Aristotle " a tragic hero is a character who is noble in nature, has a tragic flaw and discovers his fate by his own actions". Okonkwo is a tragic hero in Achebe's Things Fall Apart. Is Okonkwo an Aristotelian tragic hero? By Aristotle’s definition Okonkwo meets all the criteria and although written thousands of years apart and in a different cultural Okonkwo is comparatively similar to Oedipus in Sophocles’ “Oedipus the King”. The first criteria of a tragic hero state that the character be noble in nature or of high-status. Having not been born of noble blood, Okonkwo was the son of a lazy and wasteful sharecropper that left him without titles or inheritance. Known by Umuofia and its surrounding 9 villages as a noble man
…show more content…
Achebe also stated that most cultures are familiar with “the man who’s larger than life, who exemplifies virtues that are admired by the community, but also a man who for all that is still human. He can have flaws, you see; all that seems elegantly underlined in Aristotle’s work” (Kortenarr, 2006). With this in mind, Aristotle’s next criteria for a tragic hero is hamartia or a tragic flaw and Okonkwo’s flaw is the fear of weakness and failure. Although Achebe stated his intention was not to portray his protagonist as a tragic hero, Okonkwo exhibits these characteristics throughout the story. His fear of failure drives him to work hard and achieve the rewards on the other hand, his fear of weakness brings many problems. First his fear of weakness causes him to act harshly and has a tendency to be violent with his friends and family. An example of his impulse to violence is in chapter four. “Okonkwo was provoked to justifiable angle by his youngest wife, who went to plait her hair at her friend’s house and did not return early enough to cook the afternoon meal” (Achebe, 1958). Okonkwo was so angry he forgot it was the week of peace and he beat his wife Ojiugo. This was considered “evil” during the week of peace and could bring evil down on the village. In contrast with Okonkwo, Oedipus' tragic flaw (hamartia) is excessive pride or hubris and self-righteousness. Most compelling evidence that Oedipus falls because of his pride is his act to defy the prophecies of the gods, but actually did what he feared the most and what the prophecy had warned him against. “The Oracle of Delphi” told him that he would kill his father and marry his mother (Sophocles, n.d.). In his attempt to avoid this he leaves “Corinth” and travels towards “Thebes”. During his travels, he kills an old man and later marries
Achebe also stated that most cultures are familiar with “the man who’s larger than life, who exemplifies virtues that are admired by the community, but also a man who for all that is still human. He can have flaws, you see; all that seems elegantly underlined in Aristotle’s work” (Kortenarr, 2006). With this in mind, Aristotle’s next criteria for a tragic hero is hamartia or a tragic flaw and Okonkwo’s flaw is the fear of weakness and failure. Although Achebe stated his intention was not to portray his protagonist as a tragic hero, Okonkwo exhibits these characteristics throughout the story. His fear of failure drives him to work hard and achieve the rewards on the other hand, his fear of weakness brings many problems. First his fear of weakness causes him to act harshly and has a tendency to be violent with his friends and family. An example of his impulse to violence is in chapter four. “Okonkwo was provoked to justifiable angle by his youngest wife, who went to plait her hair at her friend’s house and did not return early enough to cook the afternoon meal” (Achebe, 1958). Okonkwo was so angry he forgot it was the week of peace and he beat his wife Ojiugo. This was considered “evil” during the week of peace and could bring evil down on the village. In contrast with Okonkwo, Oedipus' tragic flaw (hamartia) is excessive pride or hubris and self-righteousness. Most compelling evidence that Oedipus falls because of his pride is his act to defy the prophecies of the gods, but actually did what he feared the most and what the prophecy had warned him against. “The Oracle of Delphi” told him that he would kill his father and marry his mother (Sophocles, n.d.). In his attempt to avoid this he leaves “Corinth” and travels towards “Thebes”. During his travels, he kills an old man and later marries