Okonkwo Tragic Hero

In the novel, Things Fall Apart written by Chinua Achebe the main character Okonkwo rises to power and due to his character flaws he 's brought down from his high ranking in society, and comes to a fatal death. Aristotle 's definition of a tragic hero is "a main character of great importance to his culture," one that has a "higher than moral worth and social significance," and in the end "suffers tragic representations of suffering and defeat" that move the readers to pity. Achebe exhibits the main character as a tragic hero through his social significance followed by a catastrophic fall which move the readers to sympathy. Okonkwo 's pride and passion to surpass what he perceives as his father 's failure drives him to have great significance …show more content…
Since Okonkwo radiates authority and leadership many people pay him respect and place him in a higher hierarchy. Achebe establishes Okonkwo as “still young but he had won fame as the greater wrestler in the nine villages. He was a wealthy farmer... and has just married his third wife... he had taken two titles and has shown incredible prowess in two inter-tribal wars” (8). His strength and dedication prove him to be a man worthy of honor from his tribe. Okonkwo was able to overcome the mediocre social class he grew up from, through his devout belief of how he did not want to resemble his weak father. Achebe reaffirms Okonkwo’s superiority in the beginning of chapter 4, "Okonkwo who has risen so suddenly from great poverty and misfortune to be one of the lords of the clan... [he was] respected for his industry and success” (26). Okonkwo 's work ethic and need to improve and rise above the standards set by his insignificant father lead him to be a strong man. Since his worries revolve around not representing his petty father, his strength lead him to overcome many social barriers and helped him prosper. Okonkwo is aggressive, he worked to have superiority, and consequently he learned how to diminish other’s self esteem and self