Okonkwo Tragic Hero

When Things Really Fall Apart: Okonkwo as a Tragic Hero
In Chinua Achebe’s novel Things Fall Apart, Okonkwo is a tragic hero. Okonkwo meets all of the required criteria of a tragic hero according to Aristotle’s definition. A tragic hero must have a flaw or error of judgment, reversal of fortune, recognition that the reversal was the result of his own actions, excessive pride, and fate greater than deserved. Okonkwo is a hard working leader and committed member of the Ibo community whose tragic flaw is his great fear of weakness and failure. Being stripped from his high status and falling from his grace in the community, makes Okonkwo a perfect fit for a tragic hero. Okonkwo is a noble, self-made, and well respected member of the Umuofia clan. Achebe describes him as “well known throughout the nine villages and beyond. His fame rested on
solid personal achievements.” (7). Okonkwo was never born into a family of a high status. He did not have the start in life which many other men had and “never inherited a barn nor a title,” (21). Okonkwo was driven by the memory of his lazy and unsuccessful father and vowed to be the opposite. He spends most of his life trying to earn the respect of his fellow tribesmen with all the strength and power he had built up for himself, something that his father never did. While trying to prove himself to his clan, that he is nothing like his weak father, Okonkwo becomes a bully. “He was afraid of being thought weak,” (59), and his desperation to become a stronger man only led Okonkwo to destroy everything that did matter in life such as love, family, and wisdom. His greatest strength also became his greatest flaw. Okonkwo did many things throughout the novel, leading to his reversal in fortune.
Okonkwo beats his oldest son Nyowe, to force him to become more masculine. He thought that by doing this, he might beat sense into Nyowe and make him more of a man but, only causes his son to run away and join Christianity, as a revolt against his father. Okonkwo “had a slight stammer and whenever he was angry and could not get his words out quickly enough, he would use his fists.” (8). Okonkwo’s flaw leads him to act harshly towards his family and community. He feels as though everyone should listen to and obey him, and acts as though he rules the the clan and his own family. Okonkwo certainly shows signs of this when he beats his wife during the Week of Peace. “Okonkwo knew she was not speaking the truth.… And when she returned he beat her heavily. In his anger he had forgotten that it was the Week of Peace.” (31). Okonkwo acts before he ever thinks. Okonkwo never shows his emotions to his community. He does not like the idea of change and is unwilling to adapt to the changes occurring in the tribe which was letting the white men
in. “How do you think we can fight when our own brothers have turned against us? The white man is very clever. He came quietly and peaceably with his religion. We were amused at his foolishness and allowed him to stay. Now he has won our brothers, and our clan can no longer act as one. He has put a knife on the things that held us together and we have fallen apart.” (162) Okonkwo decides to take matters into his own hands and kills a British messenger. He offends the Ibo people tremendously along with the gods within his community. He realizes that all of the respect and support he had from the tribe had vanished. This is when Okonkwo begins to realize that he cannot save his village from the influence of the British (white men). “We should have killed the white man if you had listened to me,” (179). Okonkwo feels as though he had been defeated, this leading to his suicide. Okonkwo had an excessive amount of pride and dignity which stuck to his side until his eventual death. He decides how he lives his life, trying to defend his masculinity and the traditions of his clan, and also decides how his life would come to end. He would rather die than to come to any terms with the white men. “They came to the tree from which Okonkwo’s body was dangling.” (190) Okonkwo knew there was nothing left for him to do in order to help his people. “That man was one of the greatest men in Umuofia, you drove him to kill himself; and now he must be buried like a dog….” (191). His fate of suicide was much greater than deserved. A tragic hero is a very flawed character with goodness at heart. Okonkwo may have been a lousy father to his son and a murderer but every wrong thing he had done was supposed to help his community, family, and himself become stronger and more powerful. Having an excessive amount of pride and confidence is what leads to Okonkwo’s reversal in fortune and fall from grace.